Israeli PM blames Lebanon for rocket attacks

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday blamed the government of Lebanon for the recent rocket attacks fired from within its borders, even if Hezbollah was the group that ultimately fired the rockets, The Associated Press reported.

Speaking to his Cabinet on Sunday, Bennett said that the Lebanese government has to take full responsibility for the militant group Hezbollah launching rockets from inside its territory. 

Israeli forces and Hezbollah have launched occasional attacks across the border since the end of their war in 2006. That escalated last week and both sides launched aerial strikes at each other on Friday, according to the AP.

“The country of Lebanon and the army of Lebanon have to take responsibility (for) what happens in its backyard,” Bennett said, according to the AP.

“It is less important to us if it’s a Palestinian organization that fired, independent rebels, the state of Israel won’t accept shooting on its land,” he added.

The leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, had said on Saturday the group would retaliate against any strikes by Israel and would not be held by by Lebanon’s economic crisis, the AP reported.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement that both parties should exercise more “restraint,” and should avoid any possibility of more tension in the future, the AP noted.