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Israel's Energy Minister Eli Cohen has called for expanding the country's military strikes on Lebanon to now include civilian infrastructure in Lebanon, arguing that the distinction between the Lebanese government and Hezbollah should no longer be maintained.
He made these remarks first during an interview with Israeli journalist Ayala Hasson. Cohen stated his position, noting that current Israeli operations have largely focused on Hezbollah strongholds and specific targets, including areas such as Dahiya in Beirut. He argued that broader measures were necessary, calling for strikes on key national infrastructure, including Beirut's airport, seaports, and power stations. "I demanded to stop making the distinction between Hezbollah and the Lebanese government. We are constantly attacking Dahiya [a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut], Hezbollah, and specific targets. We need to strike the infrastructure of Lebanon itself: the Beirut airport, its port, sites, and power stations. A price must be extracted from the Lebanese government itself. This was the discussion, at least from my perspective," Cohen said. The Israeli energy minister noted that he raised these discussions during a recent meeting of the Israeli cabinet on Wednesday. Cohen reiterated his position in a post on X, stating, "We must stop distinguishing between Lebanon and Hezbollah! If the Lebanese government doesn't lift a finger to dismantle Hezbollah, it's time to target Lebanon's infrastructure as well." The remarks come amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, with rising tensions along the Israel-Lebanon frontier and increasing concerns over potential escalation in the region. Earlier, Hezbollah's Islamic Resistance claimed responsibility for carrying out 43 military operations against Israeli positions and troop concentrations on Sunday, saying the strikes were in response to alleged ceasefire violations and continued Israeli military activity in Lebanon, Iranian State Media Press TV reported. According to Press TV, citing a statement from the militant group, the operations targeted Israeli military sites along the border as well as deeper inside occupied territories, including the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and northern Israel. The attacks included a drone strike on a communications facility at the Al-Alika barracks in the Golan Heights, which it said resulted in a "direct hit". The group also claimed a drone strike on an Israeli Merkava tank near a hospital in Mays al-Jabal in Lebanon. The group further said it launched coordinated drone attacks on Israeli troop gatherings in areas including Al-Bayyada, Yaroun, and Kfar Yuval, along with rocket fire targeting Kiryat Shmona, Nahariya, and the headquarters of Israel's 146th Division, as reported by Press TV. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces stated that its 98th Division has intensified operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, launching targeted ground actions in the Bint Jbeil area. According to a statement issued by the IDF on Telegram, troops from the Paratroopers, Commando, and Givati Brigades, operating under the 98th Division, have expanded ground operations aimed at dismantling Hezbollah's military infrastructure and strengthening Israel's forward defensive posture along the border. The Israeli military said that over the past week, its forces had surrounded key Hezbollah positions in the Bint Jbeil region and initiated focused ground engagements. The IDF claimed that more than 100 Hezbollah operatives were killed during the operations through a combination of close-quarters combat and aerial strikes. It also said dozens of infrastructure sites linked to the group were dismantled, and hundreds of weapons were seized, including arms allegedly stored in and around civilian locations. (ANI)
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