JERUSALEM, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday threatened to kill Hezbollah's Secretary-General Naim Qassem, according to a statement from his office.
Speaking at a situation assessment with Israel's army chief Eyal Zamir and other senior officers, Katz said "Qassem and his colleagues would pay a very heavy price" for the heavy firing of rockets and missiles at Israel during the traditional Passover holiday meal on Wednesday evening.
Katz added that Israel will "cleanse" southern Lebanon from Hezbollah and its supporters, and maintain "security control over the entire Litani River area."
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said in a statement that it killed a Hezbollah militant during a ground operation in southern Lebanon on Thursday morning, with two Israeli soldiers slightly wounded.
Cross-border fighting resumed on March 2 when Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel for the first time since a ceasefire took effect on Nov. 27, 2024, after the Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iran, prompting intensified Israeli airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon. ■
