Netanyahu's blunt response to Macron as IDF intensifies attacks in Lebanon and launches second ground operation in Gaza

Benjamin Netanyahu responded forcefully to French President Emmanuel Macron's call to halt arms shipments to Israel for its war on terror. The Israeli prime minister said that the French leader should be ashamed of himself for considering abandoning the Jewish state while it is "defending itself on seven fronts against the enemies of civilization." On the military front, the Israeli Defense Forces stepped up attacks on Lebanon and launched a second ground offensive in Gaza to prevent Hamas terrorists from regrouping in Jabaliya.

"Shame on them”

The prime minister clearly expressed his disappointment at the move by Macron and other Western leaders to leave Israel alone against its enemies, even though the battle they are fighting is for civilization: "For in defending ourselves against this barbarism, Israel is defending civilization against those who seek to impose a dark age of fanaticism on all of us. Rest assured, Israel will fight until the battle is won - for our sake and for the sake of peace and security in the world."

"As Israel fights the forces of barbarism led by Iran, all civilized countries should be standing firmly by Israel’s side. Yet President Macron and other western leaders are now calling for arms embargoes against Israel. Shame on them," said Netanyahu, who compared this stance to that of Iran and its proxies.

Israel's seven fronts

Netanyahu wanted to send his "message to Macron" in a video, uploaded to social media both on his personal account and on the official account of the Prime Minister's Office. In it, the Israeli prime minister lists the seven fronts. He said the country is fighting "against the enemies of civilization," and explained why they are fighting each of them.

First, Netanyahu spoke about the war in Gaza against Hamas. The one year anniversary is coming up of the October 7 terrorist attack that cost the lives of more than 1,200 Israeli citizens."We are fighting in Gaza against Hamas, the savages who murdered, raped, beheaded and burned our people on October 7."

Secondly, "We are fighting in Lebanon against Hezbollah, the most heavily armed terror organization in the world, which was planning an even greater massacre than October 7th on our Northern border, and that has rocketed Israeli towns and cities for nearly a year.”

In addition, they have also been forced to respond to the Houthi threat from Yemen, and the Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria, which, together "have launched hundreds of drone and missile attacks against Israel." To these they must add the terrorists who have tried to attack, on Israeli soil, those who "are trying to murder civilians in Judea and Samaria."

Now, they are facing Iran, "which last week fired more than 200 ballistic missiles directly at Israel and which is behind this 7 front war against Israel."

Attacks intensify in Lebanon

On the military front, airstrikes against Beirut intensified overnight Saturday and Sunday morning. In addition, there were several attacks from Lebanon with missiles against Haifa. The Israeli military issued evacuation orders to 25 other towns in the south of the country due to the expanding bombing radius.

The military reported it destroyed terrorist enclaves with munitions as well as numerous terrorists in combat or by bombing, including prominent Hezbollah leaders such as Khacher Ali Toil, company commander in the terrorist organization's Kfar Kila region, and two other Hamas leaders in Lebanese territory: "Muhammad Hussein Ali al-Mahmoud was the executive authority of Hamas in Lebanon and directed terrorist activities in Judea and Samaria and "Said Alaa Naif Ali carried out terrorist attacks against Israeli targets and worked to recruit Hamas operatives inside Lebanon." They also neutralized some 250 meters of a tunnel "intended for use in a Hezbollah Radwan Forces invasion of Israel."

Ground operation in Jabaliya

In parallel, the IDF announced that the 401st and 460th Armored Brigades of the 162nd Division had surrounded the northern Gaza town of Jabaliya overnight and that troops were operating in the area following intelligence on Hamas operatives and infrastructure, who were attempting to regroup there. Loud explosions were heard during the early hours of the morning and the army later stated that a wave of airstrikes and artillery shelling was carried out as troops entered the area.