The Iranian-backed group attacked Israelis as they marked the Exodus, just as the Amalekites attacked the Israelites when they left Egypt, the defense minister said.
Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed on Thursday to exact “a very heavy price” on Hezbollah for launching a barrage of rockets at Israeli civilians during the Passover meal the previous day.
Recording his message during a situational assessment at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, Katz drew a parallel between Hezbollah attacking civilians as they sat down to celebrate the Seder night marking the Exodus of the people of Israel from Egypt, and the Amalekites, an ancient nomadic nation, which, according to the Bible, attacked the people of Israel when they left Egypt.
He directly addressed secretary-general of Hezbollah Naim Qassem, saying that he will not live to see Israel’s retribution, “because you will be deep at the bottom of hell together with [his predecessor] Hassan Nasrallah, [Iran’s slain supreme leader] Ali Khamenei, [Hamas late leader] Yahya Sinwar, and all those eliminated from the axis of evil.”
“But the terrorist organization Hezbollah, which you now lead, and its supporters in Lebanon, will pay an extremely heavy price. The fire will not deter us—the Israeli home front is strong, and the Israel Defense Forces is strong and determined, and there will be no return to the reality that existed before Oct. 7, [2023],” the defense minister continued, referring to the largely passive foreign policy of the Jewish state before the Hamas-led surprise attack on southern Israel, which devastated the communities along the Gaza border, claiming some 1,200 lives and kidnapping 251 more into the Strip.
