Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz attends a cabinet meeting of the new government, at the Chagall Hall in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, May 24, 2020. Photo: Abir Sultan / Pool via Reuters / File.

i24 News – Defense Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz issued a stark warning Thursday to Israel’s archenemy Hezbollah, stipulating that if a military campaign erupts, “Lebanon will shake and Hezbollah will be fatally hurt.”

The remarks were delivered at the state memorial service for the victims of the Israeli military operations whose burial place is unknown, on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.

Gantz stipulated that the government was doing everything within its power to bring home two soldiers who fell in battle in Gaza in Operation Protective Edge in 2014 , St.-Sgt. Oron Shaul and Lt. Hadar Goldin, as well as other soldiers whose remains have been lost in wars in the past.

The former military chief responded to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s recent threats, asserting, “Even now, in spite of the fact that Israel has the strongest armed forces in the Middle East, we are still on the receiving end of threats of war.”

“And, in fact, if it comes to that, it would be difficult for the Israeli homefront, but it would be considerably more difficult for our enemies. This is true in particular of Hezbollah and Hamas, both of whom are violating international law by developing offensive capacity for operation within civilian populations,” Gantz added.

Earlier this week, the Israel Air Force (IAF) wrapped up a three-day drill simulating conflict in the country’s north.

The drill was focused on a scenario where the Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist group fired a missile at an IAF jet operating over Lebanon, landing the shot, but failing to down the aircraft.