More Than Iran

It is easy to forget that while Israel is partnering with the US to do away with the Iranian terror threat, there are still Iranian proxies lying in wait to attack and now one of them is doing just that as we see in a report from World Israel News:

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a direct and personal warning Monday morning to Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, signaling that Israel may target the terror group’s leadership after Hezbollah joined the expanding regional conflict alongside Iran.

Katz’s statement came after Hezbollah launched rockets and drones toward northern Israel, opening an additional front as fighting connected to the Israel-Iran war intensified.

Katz made it clear why:

In an unusually explicit message directed at Hezbollah’s leader, Katz said that “Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s secretary-general, who chose to launch attacks under Iranian pressure, is now a marked target for elimination.”

The Israeli president also put the entire terrorist group Hezbollah on notice as well:

The defense minister added that Hezbollah would “pay a heavy price” for attacks on Israel, underscoring Israel’s growing willingness to publicly threaten senior figures responsible for directing strikes against Israeli civilians.

These statements followed Hezbollah’s attacks on northern Israel at the behest of Qassem:

The warning followed a statement issued Sunday by Qassem, in which the Hezbollah leader pledged continued resistance aligned with Iran’s revolutionary leadership following Israeli and U.S. strikes against the Islamic Republic. Qassem said Hezbollah and what he described as the “Islamic resistance” would continue operating “with determination, stability, and a spirit of liberation that knows neither fatigue nor surrender.”

Qassem went on to add more defiant language:

He further declared that the organization would remain “at the forefront of fighters for the liberation of land and humanity,” vowing to oppose what he called “American tyranny and Zionist crimes,” while expressing confidence in eventual victory despite expected sacrifices.

It was no coincidence that the attacks came quickly afterward:

Hours later, Hezbollah terrorists fired multiple rockets and launched several drones toward northern Israel, triggering sirens across border communities and prompting an immediate Israeli response.

The IDF Responded

Israel wasn’t about to let the blatant breaking of the ceasefire keep them from striking back:

Israeli Air Force aircraft subsequently struck dozens of Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon and the Beirut metropolitan area, targeting operational infrastructure used to plan and carry out attacks against Israeli territory.

And evacuation warnings were issued signaling there will be more fighting to come:

The IDF also issued evacuation notices to residents in 53 towns and villages on the Lebanese side of the border, signaling preparations for continued military operations.

The Israel Defense Force Chief of Staff echoed the sentiment of their response being more than a one time strike:

“We have launched an offensive campaign against Hezbollah,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Monday morning. “We need to be prepared for many days of fighting.” He added that Hezbollah initiated the escalation overnight and bears responsibility for the developing confrontation.

And Katz reminded everyone that there will be no restraint in how they handle Hezbollah:

Katz emphasized that Israel will no longer operate under the pre-October 7 security framework along the northern border. “We will not return to the rules of fire that existed before October 7,” he said, stressing that Israel is now acting “with full force.”

The defense minister added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and he instructed the IDF to operate decisively against Hezbollah in order to remove threats against Israeli civilians and restore long-term security.

We’ve detailed over and over again how these events are all part of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy and this one is no different. Hezbollah is attacking in support of Iran and everyone knows it. Expect what’s left of Hamas to get active again as well as the Houthi rebels in Yemen. There are Iranian proxies in other nations as well so expect all of the ring of fire Iran put together to join in as Israel is getting inundated by missile and drone attacks in Tel Aviv, Haifa and even Jerusalem. This too is seen in Bible prophecy as we read in Isaiah 17:4-6 where Israel will be hit hard and not just by Iran. Hezbollah has quite a few missiles left and if they used them all at once Israel’s defense systems can’t stop them all. In short the Psalm 83 war is already ramping up. What I don’t see is how the US will help if Israel is attacked all at once. All of this certainly means that we need to be interceding for the peace of Jerusalem more and more.