Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pictured in Jerusalem on July 16, 2024 -- is set to address a joint session of the US Congress
AFP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has released his first statement since a twin set of bombings that targeted communication devices used by the armed group Hezbollah.

He didn't directly address the deadly bombings of pagers and walkie-talkies but the cryptic 10-second clip in Hebrew simply said that the people of northern Isreal will be able to return to their homes safely.

Hezbollah has been firing rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel for months. Thousands of residents were evacuated from several communities on both sides of the border.

Rocket attacks have killed hundreds of people in Lebanon and dozens on the Israeli side.

There has been pressure to allow residents to return home.

This week Israel announced the expansion of its war aims in its nearly year-long fight against Hamas in Gaza to include Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The first round of explosions on Tuesday targeted pagers used by Hezbollah. Nearly a dozen deaths and thousands of injuries were reported.

A second round of exploding devices rocked Lebanon late Wednesday afternoon. They apparently targeted walkie-talkies the group uses to communicate.