Israel official warns Lebanon over Hezbollah leader’s threat

JERUSALEM – Israel’s education minister is warning Lebanon following threats by Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Naftali Bennett, a member of Israel’s security cabinet, says any future attack by Hezbollah would be considered a “declaration of war by the Lebanese state” as a whole. He says Israel won’t operate “surgically” in the next war with the Shiite militia.

Bennett’s remarks to Army Radio on Monday follow Nasrallah’s threat Sunday to crush any Israeli force that enters Lebanon.

Israel and Hezbollah fought a month-long war in 2006. Hezbollah fired over 4,000 rockets at Israeli communities, while Israel bombed targets in southern Lebanon. About 1,200 Lebanese died, most of them civilians, as well as 44 Israeli civilians and 121 soldiers.

Today, the two neighbouring countries remain technically at war.