Netanyahu says Hezbollah made 'very big mistake', will respond with 'even greater force'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel was continuing to pound Iran and vowed to hit Hezbollah with increasing force as the war in the Middle East raged for a fourth day.

"We continue to strike Iran with force. Our pilots are over the skies of Iran and Tehran, and also over the skies of Lebanon. Hezbollah made a very big mistake when it attacked us. We have already responded forcefully, and we will respond with even greater force," Netanyahu said at an air force base in central Israel, according to a statement from his office.

He added that the Lebanese government and Lebanese people should understand that Hezbollah is "dragging them into a war that is not theirs, just because of the death of that mass murderer that they have nothing to do with."

A senior Hezbollah official has said that after more than a year of abiding by a ceasefire while Israel launched near-daily strikes in Lebanon, the group’s patience has ended.