Hezbollah claimed responsibility on Tuesday for a drone strike last week on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home, and admitted that the Israeli army had kidnapped some of its militants.
Hezbollah spokesman Mohammed Afif made the remarks during a press conference in Beirut’s southern suburbs, which was cut short due to an Israeli evacuation alert for the area.
An Israeli strike hit a target hundreds of metres (yards) distant from the conference site minutes after journalists had departed, according to an AFP video journalist.
Hezbollah’s terrorist group “declares its full, complete and exclusive responsibility for the Caesarea operation targeting… Netanyahu” , Afif reported.
On Saturday, Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of attempting to murder him and his wife after a drone was launched at their home in Caesarea, central Israel.
Afif also admitted that the Israeli army had apprehended several of the group’s fighters, but did not provide specific figures.
“On the issue of captives currently held by the enemy, I say: I know that the enemy is not committed to the ethics of war and international conventions but it bears the responsibility of preserving the lives of the captives,” Afif told the audience.
Previously, the Israeli army claimed to have caught four Hezbollah fighters since the commencement of its ground offensive in Lebanon, and published video footage purportedly showing one of them answering questions.
Afif also stated that the group’s microfinance enterprise, Al-Qard al-Hassan, took all required safeguards ahead of the Israeli strikes last week, promising to “fulfill its obligations” to depositors.
His company “had anticipated such… an aggression and has taken all precautions and will do everything that is necessary to fulfil its obligations towards depositors,” said Mr. Smith.