Israel would strike back forcefully if its civilians were attacked from Lebanon, but there is no standing policy to launch such attacks, Foreign Minister David Levy said. Trying to take the heat off controversial remarks made in the Knesset on Wednesday, Levy told Israel Radio that his declaration that Israel would respond “blood for blood” and “child for child” if residents of northern Israel were the target of attacks from Lebanon was intended to convey the gravity of the security situation and send a strong message to Syria to rein in Hezbollah.
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