Israel claims victory over Hezbollah, hopes for Lebanese political shift

Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that his country has defeated Hezbollah and that eliminating its leader Hassan Nasrallah was the crowning achievement.

”Now it is our job to continue to put pressure in order to bring about the fruits of that victory,” Katz said during a ceremony at Israel’s foreign ministry.

Katz said Israel is not interested in meddling in internal Lebanese politics as Israel has ”learned our lessons”, but that he hoped an international coalition would capitalize on this opportunity politically and that Lebanon would join other countries in normalizing relations with Israel.

Israel strikes deeper into Lebanon

Israel has struck deeper inside Lebanon since September, when it killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and most of his top commanders. Hezbollah has expanded its rocket fire from northern to central Israel. The fighting has killed over 3,100 people in Lebanon, according to the Health Ministry, and more than 70 people in Israel.

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After Israel’s strike in Aalmat, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Beirut, legislator Raed Berro denied that any Hezbollah personnel or assets were in the building hit: “Everyone can see, in front of cameras, that what is being pulled from under the rubble are women, children and elderly people who have nothing to do with weapons or rocket warehouses.”

Hassan Ghaddaf, who lived next door and was lightly wounded while heading to his balcony with morning coffee, said displaced people were in the building.

“I had seen them and got to know them the other day,” Ghaddaf said. “They were peaceful. On the contrary, they had someone from the Lebanese Internal Security Forces that works for the state, and we saw their garb and clothes in the rubble.”

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In Syria, an Israeli airstrike hit a residential building in the Damascus suburb of Sayyida Zeinab and the Defense Ministry said seven civilians were killed, state news agency SANA reported. Britain-based opposition war monitor The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights suggested Hezbollah was targeted. Israel did not immediately comment.

With inputs from agencies.