'We will crush them': Netanyahu vows intensified offensive action against Hezbollah following drone attacks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday (May 25) that he had instructed the military to step up its offensive in Lebanon in a bid to ‘crush’ Hezbollah, accusing the militant group of launching drone attacks against Israeli forces. “I have ordered an even greater acceleration of our operations,” Netanyahu said in a video statement shared on his Telegram channel. “It is true that they are attacking us with drones, including fibre-optic drones, but we have teams working on countermeasures, and we will solve this issue. We will intensify our blows, increase our firepower, and we will crush them.”

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Despite a ceasefire that took effect on April 17, 2026, Israel and Hezbollah have continued exchanging fire almost daily. In the early hours of Monday, dozens of Israeli strikes hit multiple towns and villages across southern Lebanon, killing three people travelling in two cars and on a motorcycle, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA). Later in the day, Israeli airstrikes targeted several areas near the ancient city of Tyre, the NNA reported.

The attacks followed evacuation orders issued by Israel for 10 villages, with Israeli authorities accusing Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire agreement. Lebanese officials say Israeli strikes since early March have killed more than 3,100 people. Meanwhile, the Israeli military said on Monday that one soldier was killed in southern Lebanon a day earlier. The latest death brings the number of Israeli soldiers killed since fighting with Hezbollah began to 23. One civilian contractor has also been reported dead.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations, and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos.