The Saudi Al-Hadath channel reported on Friday evening that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's advisor spoke with fellow Saudi media outlet Al-Arabiya and said: "Israel has escalated the confrontation with Hezbollah. If Hezbollah does not cease its attacks, we will expand our targets," following the assassination of Hezbollah official Ibrahim Aqil earlier in the day.
Netanyahu's advisor was also attributed with saying: "The previous red lines no longer exist."
A diplomatic source told the Al-Hadath channel that: "Aqil's assassination is a political and military message (from Israel) that any escalation by Hezbollah will be met with further escalation in the Dahieh neighborhood." The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that the death toll from the IDF strike has risen to 14 and is expected to increase further.
It was also reported that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant: "We are increasingly concerned about the escalation between Israel and Lebanon and fear miscalculations." However, it was also reported that Austin stated: "We affirm the firm, permanent, and unwavering commitment of the United States to Israel's security." Meanwhile, it was reported that the Pentagon announced USS aircraft Harry S. Truman would head to the eastern Mediterranean next Monday.
Global reactions
In terms of global reactions to Friday's events, it was reported that the head of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s office announced that the response to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh "will come soon." According to reports, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry claimed that "the Zionist entity rejects the ceasefire and seeks to escalate tensions and broaden the conflict."
In addition, it was reported that French President Emmanuel Macron told Netanyahu that he has a responsibility to prevent escalation on the northern front, to which the Israeli leader replied: "Instead of putting pressure on us, pressure should be applied to Hezbollah."
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid also attacked Netanyahu following the dramatic events in Lebanon, writing: "Netanyahu, what are the goals? It's been 11 months of neglect in the South and the North. And the most important act of all – bringing the 101 hostages home. What about that? Only after operational successes do you run to the media. You are responsible for the greatest disaster in the country's history, and this is your legacy."