JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday warned Israel would not stop its military operations against Hezbollah until northern residents can safely return to their homes.

“We are striking Hezbollah with blows it never imagined. We are doing this with full force, we are doing this with guile. One thing I promise you: we will not rest until they return home”, Netanyahu said in a statement.

Earlier in the evening, Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi told soldiers to be prepared for possible entry into Lebanon.

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“We are not stopping. We will keep attacking and harming (Hezbollah) everywhere,” Halevi said.

“To do this, we are preparing for the course of the manoeuvre, and the sense is that your military boots, your manoeuvre boots, will enter enemy territory.

“These are the things that will allow us to safely repatriate the residents of the north later,” the army chief added.