Iran warns Israel of severe retaliation if it attacks Lebanon

Israel will face the strongest possible response if it attacks Lebanon under the pretext of a retaliatory strike after shelling the Majdal Shams locality in the Golan Heights.

The remarks came from Kamal Kharazi, an adviser to Iran's spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and head of the Islamic republic's strategic council for international relations, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

"Israel should know that if it takes this risk, it will face a harsh reaction. The best solution for [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is to put an end to the brutal war in the Gaza Strip, because by continuing the war, it will gain nothing but casualties and destruction," said Kharazi.

According to the politician, "Israel now intends to expand the scope of the war by accusing [the Shiite movement] Hezbollah of striking the occupied Golan. Israel's accusations are ludicrous because the residents of the occupied Golan are opposed" to the Jewish state's authorities. An adviser to Iran's leader assessed that the Lebanese movement "could not hit the residents of the region, which belongs to Hezbollah's ally Syria," as evidenced by portraits of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in settlements in the Golan Heights and protests against Netanyahu's visit to Majdal Shams.

On the evening of 27 July, the Israeli army reported another massive bombardment of the north of the country from Lebanese territory. One of the rockets exploded at a football ground in the Druze village of Majdal Shams, where children were present at the time. As a result, 12 people were killed and some 40 injured. Israeli authorities held Lebanon and Hezbollah responsible for the incident, promising a harsh response. During Netanyahu's visit to the village, its residents accused the head of the Israeli Cabinet of the death of their children.