JERUSALEM, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that Israel would not tolerate attacks on its soldiers and would "exact a very heavy price" from Hezbollah, after the Israeli military announced the deaths of four soldiers in southern Lebanon.
In a statement released by his office, Netanyahu said the attack by Hezbollah was "a flagrant violation of the ceasefire," adding that he had instructed the Israeli military overnight to strike Hezbollah "with force."
The Israeli military said earlier in the day that four soldiers were killed during fighting in southern Lebanon.
According to Israeli media, the incident occurred shortly after midnight when a suspected drone or anti-tank missile hit an Israeli tank in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Tebnit. The military said the exact cause of the explosion was under investigation.
Netanyahu said the Israeli military had struck more than 80 targets and killed dozens of Hezbollah fighters following the attack, before later targeting Hezbollah command posts in the Bekaa Valley.
He also said Israel would remain in what it calls a "security zone" in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary to protect communities in northern Israel.
Israel and Hezbollah have continued to exchange fire despite a ceasefire arrangement, raising concerns over further escalation along the Israel-Lebanon border. ■
