Hezbollah claimed on Tuesday sole responsibility for the drone attack on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's holiday home in the town of Caesarea. It also said there would be no negotiations while fighting continued with Israel.
The group "takes full and sole responsibility" for targeting Netanyahu's house, Mohammad Afif, head of the Iranian-backed militant group's media office, said.
"If our hands didn't reach you the previous time, then days, nights and the battlefield are still between us," he added at a press conference in Ghobeiri, in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold that has come under frequent Israeli airstrikes.
Israel said a drone was launched at Netanyahu's holiday home on Saturday. Netanyahu was not there at the time, but he described it as an assassination attempt by "Iran's proxy Hezbollah" and called it a "grave mistake."
Of note, Iran acquitted itself of the assassination attempt. On Saturday, Iran's mission to the United Nations denied any connection to the drone attack targeting Netanyahu's residence, and pointed the finger at Hezbollah. Meanwhile, the Israeli prime minister accused Iran's allies of trying to assassinate him, and threatened to make them pay a “high price.”
Hezbollah acknowledged, also for the first time, that Israel had captured some of its fighters since it launched a ground offensive in South Lebanon, and said that Israel was responsible for their wellbeing.
Afif stated that Hezbollah had not captured any Israeli soldiers but had come close. "It won't take long before we have captives from the enemy (Israel)."
He also denied that the group's al-Qard al-Hassan Association was involved in financing Hezbollah salaries or weapons, and assured it would fulfill its obligations towards its clients in full, even after Israel targeted it with some 30 strikes on Sunday.
Afif held the press conference shortly before three Israeli raids targeted the area, as announced by the Israeli army in a press release, which led the journalists and Afif to quickly flee the area.
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