Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said Monday that Israel’s recent military moves against Hezbollah were required after diplomatic efforts failed to prevent the terror group from launching rockets from southern Lebanon in violation of international agreements.
Speaking at a press briefing, Danon said Israel had taken steps overnight to broaden its defensive posture along the northern border in response to ongoing attacks.
“Overnight, Israel expanded the forward defense area in southern Lebanon. This step was taken to remove immediate terrorist threats near our border and create an additional layer of security for the residents of northern Israel,” Danon said at a press briefing this morning (Monday).
Danon stressed that Israel had not sought the confrontation, blaming Hezbollah for initiating the escalation through repeated rocket launches targeting Israeli communities.
He emphasized: “Israel did not choose this situation. Hezbollah did. For weeks, Hezbollah has been launching rockets at Israeli communities from southern Lebanon. It has been doing so from areas where it is not supposed to be present at all.”
He also questioned the continued reliance on diplomacy by the United Nations when Hezbollah has repeatedly ignored existing agreements meant to prevent its presence in southern Lebanon.
Danon referenced remarks made during a recent visit to Lebanon by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and challenged the notion that dialogue alone could resolve the situation.
Danon questioned the UN’s continued focus on diplomacy when Hezbollah has failed to abide by any diplomatic agreements until now. “On Friday, last week, during his visit to Lebanon, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, and I quote, ‘There is no military solution, only diplomacy and dialogue.’ Israel supports diplomacy, but diplomacy only works when agreements are enforced. Under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, Hezbollah is not supposed to operate south of the Litani River. That area was meant to be free of Hezbollah weapons. Yet Hezbollah is operating there. Hezbollah is firing from there. And the Lebanese government has not taken sufficient action to stop it.”
According to Danon, commitments made through diplomatic channels only months ago have gone unenforced, leaving Israel with little choice but to respond to continued rocket fire.
“Diplomatic commitments were made only last November. They were not enforced. When rockets continue to be fired from areas that were supposed to be free of weapons, Israel cannot sit back and pretend that diplomacy is working,” he said.
Danon further accused Hezbollah of deliberately targeting Israeli civilians while operating from populated areas in Lebanon.
Danon accused Hezbollah of “indiscriminate fire” in its rocket attacks, while using civilians as human shields. “That is their method: Launch rockets at Israeli communities, hide behind civilians, and then blame Israel.”
During the briefing, Danon urged the Lebanese government to take responsibility for restraining Hezbollah and preventing further escalation.
He called on the Lebanese government to “step up” and fulfill its obligations to confront Hezbollah and stop the terrorist organization from repeatedly dragging Lebanon into conflicts with Israel. “Lebanon must restrain Hezbollah now, or we will.”
To illustrate the scale of the attacks, Danon presented a map documenting the volume of rocket fire directed at Israel in a short period of time.
During the briefing, Danon presented a map showing that 213 rockets were launched by Hezbollah at Israel in just 16 hours, all from southern Lebanon south of the Litani River, in blatant violation of Security Council Resolution 1701.
The map that was presented highlights the scope of the firing and Hezbollah’s systematic violation of UN resolutions. At the same time, Israel is working to expand its buffer defense area following ongoing threats on the northern border.
Danon concluded by pointing to the figures as evidence that Hezbollah continues to operate freely in areas where it is prohibited under international agreements.
Danon said: “213 rockets in 16 hours prove that Hezbollah continues to fire freely from south of the Litani in clear violation of UN resolutions. Israel is working to remove the threat of terrorism from its border and expand its defense area to protect its citizens.”
{Matzav.com}
Below is the latest information regarding outbound travel from Israel for American citizens. Read on to learn about several important clarifications from Chaim V’Chessed.
State Department Flights Suspended; El Al Evacuation Flights
The U.S. State Department has suspended its special evacuation flights following its arrangement with El Al. In response, El Al has increased its planned flights to the United States from six to eight.
These flights are intended for passengers with existing El Al tickets, as well as those with no tickets or tickets on other airlines. At this time, however, only El Al ticket holders have been placed on these flights. Non–El Al passengers have not yet been successfully ticketed, though El Al has reportedly committed to the U.S. State Department.to accommodate all U.S. citizens.
All passengers seeking to travel are strongly encouraged to register as soon as possible using this link.
Important Clarifications
Ticket Eligibility
Primarily, passengers holding a one-way ticket to the United States, or those on the final leg of an itinerary returning to the United States, are being placed on these flights. Often, passengers with round-trip tickets originating in Tel Aviv, traveling to the U.S., and returning to Israel are not being accommodated. The chief purpose of these flights is to return American citizens who are currently stranded in Israel – not to provide round-trip travel. Passengers in this situation who have purchased tickets from travel agencies should reach out to their travel agent for assistance.
Family Members of U.S. Citizens
El Al has stated that only passengers holding U.S. passports may fly on the so-called “rescue flights.” There remains some uncertainty regarding spouses and family members of U.S. citizens who are not themselves American citizens. Based on current information, those who can demonstrate legal residence in the United States with their American family members will likely be permitted to travel. Individuals without clear proof of U.S. residency may not be allowed to board.
Additional Flight Options
Arkia, Israir and Air Haifa continue to operate flights to various destinations. In some cases, experienced travel agents may be able to secure seats for passengers, though availability is severely limited and fares are often high.
The Igud/Eretz HaKodesh flights from Taba began operating today, with two additional flights scheduled later this week. These flights are already fully or nearly fully booked. Separately, Lalechet continues to operate flights from Sharm al Sheikh.
{Matzav.com}
A man was moderately wounded Monday evening after being struck by shrapnel at Kabri Junction in the Western Galilee, as emergency forces across the region responded to several impact locations following launches from Lebanon.
The injured man was treated at the scene before being transported to the hospital in Nahariya for additional medical care.
דיווח על פגיעה ישירה בנהריה, תיעוד: רגע הנפילה בעירhttps://t.co/0imLHwZUoA | @OrRavid pic.twitter.com/dETGhyzxnL
— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) March 16, 2026
At the same time, police units from the Coastal District, along with Israel Border Police officers and police bomb disposal teams, were dispatched to several sites in Nahariya where projectiles had landed.
Authorities reported that at one of the locations, a residential home sustained a direct strike that ignited a fire. Emergency responders managed to rescue members of the family inside the building and evacuated six individuals to the hospital due to smoke inhalation. Those hospitalized included two children and four adults.
The Israel Defense Forces is investigating whether an interceptor missile malfunctioned during an attempted interception and subsequently struck the house in Nahariya. Officials said the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under review.
Tal Volovitz, spokesperson for the Israel Fire and Rescue Services, told Kan Reshet Bet that emergency crews are having difficulty reaching some of the sites due to ongoing waves of sirens.
A wave of dangerous winter weather combined with staffing problems tied to a TSA pay freeze caused widespread travel disruptions across the United States on Monday, forcing more than 2,000 flight cancellations and bringing operations at several major airports to a standstill.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that major hubs were heavily affected as ground stops were issued early Monday morning. Flights were halted at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Charlotte Douglas International Airport, while George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston experienced significant ground delays.
Beyond the thousands of canceled flights, the disruptions spread nationwide, with more than 9,500 additional flights delayed, Duffy said.
The aviation turmoil coincided with a powerful round of late-winter storms striking large portions of the country Monday and Tuesday.
In the Midwest, communities were contending with blizzard conditions, while states across the eastern United States faced severe thunderstorms expected to produce powerful winds and possible flooding, according to AccuWeather.
Meteorologists warned that the storm system could impact roughly 200 million people.
Air travelers were already struggling with airport delays before the storms intensified, as a pay freeze affecting airport security officers created staffing shortages. Because security personnel were working without pay during the partial government shutdown, roughly 300 TSA workers resigned.
The funding lapse occurred on Feb. 13 after Congress failed to reach an agreement on immigration enforcement changes sought by Democrats.
Scenes from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport showed long lines of passengers waiting outside the terminal early Monday morning as travelers attempted to pass through security checkpoints.
Airport officials advised passengers at the time to arrive at least two and a half hours before domestic departures. By late morning, however, security lines had returned to normal levels, according to a post from Austin-Bergstrom’s X account.
The Trump administration has laid the blame on the TSA hiccups on Democrats for the partial funding stop.
{Matzav.com}
