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- Israel-Hamas war
- Herzog stresses need for northern Israelis to return back home in safety
Herzog stresses need for northern Israelis to return back home in safety
"Friends should understand that we are fighting their war, too," Herzog said – "We expect friends and allies to be there for us"
President Isaac Herzog gave an interview on Sunday to the UK's Sky News channel, stressing Israel's goal of bringing citizens from northern communities back home in safety.
"Hezbollah started this war," he said when asked by Trevor Philips about the escalating tensions that threaten to send the region into a wider conflict.
After a long time of restraint, "Something has to end," he said, calling the return of Israelis "the most natural obligation of any nation to its citizens."
Despite not wanting war, Herzog stressed that it was the "evil empire" of Iran that directed its proxies to strike. This includes the south by Hamas in the Gaza Strip on October 7, in the north by Hezbollah a day later, and by the Houthis that have launched rocket and drone attacks from Yemen – and disrupted the maritime supply lines in the Red Sea.
Herzog also categorically refused to comment on two attacks last week when Hezbollah communication devices exploded, which killed dozens and maimed thousands of operatives.
He also stressed that the war was with Hezbollah, which has hijacked Lebanon. "Lebanon has been hijacked by a terror organization which is also a political party in Lebanon called Hezbollah," he said.
"It's been armed to its teeth by the Iranian empire of evil. And all of these leaders who were eradicated on Friday by the Israeli attack, all of these leaders were meeting together in order to launch the same horrific, horrendous attack that we had on October 7th by Hamas. By burning Israelis, butchering them, raping their women, abducting and taking hostage old people and little babies. This is exactly the same plan that they've been planning for years under the plans of the empire of evil."
"Friends should understand that we are fighting their war, too," Herzog said. "We expect friends and allies to be there for us."