Israeli President: Hezbollah is playing with fire

Regarding the conflicts on the border between his country and Lebanon, Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated: “We are closely monitoring the situation in Lebanon. “I think Hezbollah is playing with fire,” he said.

Herzog met with visiting French President Emmanuel Macron at his residence in West Jerusalem.

In his speech here, the Israeli President said: “We have encountered pain that we have not seen since the founding of our country” in relation to the attacks carried out by Hamas on October 7.

Referring to Israeli prisoners held by Hamas in Gaza, Herzog said: “We want the immediate release of all our citizens who were kidnapped and held hostage.”

Referring to developments on the Lebanon-Israel border, which has been the scene of mutual clashes in recent days, Herzog said: “We are closely monitoring the situation in Lebanon. I think Hezbollah is playing with fire. The evil empire of Iran, which supports them and operates day and night to destabilize the Middle East and the region, is playing with fire. I want to say this clearly: we do not want a conflict on our northern border or anywhere else. We are focused on destroying Hamas’ infrastructure and bringing our citizens home. “But if Hezbollah drags us into war, it should be clear that Lebanon will be the one to pay the price,” he said.

Addressing his French counterpart, Herzog said: “Mr. President, like you, we are very concerned and disturbed by the increasing anti-Semitism in the world and in your country.”

Herzog thanked Macron for visiting Israel and sharing his support.
French President Macron stated that he was in Israel with his delegation to express his support and solidarity, saying: “We share your pain.”

Macron said he agreed with Herzog to release the hostages immediately, saying: “I believe it is our duty to fight these terrorist organizations without raising suspicions and without further escalating this conflict. I also share the warnings you conveyed. It is necessary to openly attack these terrorist groups and organize specific operations. We will do everything possible to restore peace, security and stability in your country and throughout the region. “For this reason, we conveyed several messages to other potential terrorist groups who wanted to launch an attack or join this war, and we clearly warned Hezbollah and gave very clear messages.”