Netanyahu vows more 'surprising blows' after Israel thwarted 'thousands' of Hezbollah rockets: 'Not the end'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed more "surprising blows" against Iran-backed terrorist groups after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reportedly struck launch sites in Lebanon just minutes before Hezbollah was planning to fire thousands of rockets into central Israel.

"What happened today is not the end of the story. Hezbollah tried to attack the State of Israel with rockets and drones early in the morning," Netanyahu said at a government meeting in Tel Aviv Sunday morning. "We instructed the IDF to carry out a powerful pre-emptive strike to remove the threat."

"The IDF destroyed thousands of short-range rockets, and they were all intended to harm our citizens and our forces in Galilee," he continued. "In addition, the IDF intercepted all the UAVs that Hezbollah launched for a strategic purpose in the center of the country. We are hitting Hezbollah with surprising blows…. Three weeks ago, we eliminated his chief of staff, and today, we foiled his attack plan."

"Nasrallah in Beirut and Khamenei in Tehran should know that this is another step on the way to change the situation in the north and return our residents safely to their homes," Netanyahu added. "And I repeat – this is not the end of the story."

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In an earlier statement, White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said President Biden "is closely monitoring events in Israel and Lebanon."

"He has been engaged with his national security team throughout the evening. At his direction, senior U.S. officials have been communicating continuously with their Israeli counterparts. We will keep supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, and we will keep working