Israel prepares to retaliate against Hezbollah after terror attack: "swift, harsh, and painful" response promised.

The imminent Israeli response against Hezbollah in Lebanon is expected due to the group's rocket attack on a children's soccer field on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of 12 young people.

On Monday morning, two Hezbollah terrorists were killed in a drone strike carried out by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in southern Lebanon. The IDF has not yet commented on the strike. The decision to launch the drone attacks was made after a three-hour cabinet meeting on Sunday, during which ministers authorized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister to determine the "manner and timing" of a military response to the deadly Hezbollah attack.

On Monday, Danny Danon, Israel's new ambassador to the United Nations, informed "Fox and Friends" host Steve Doocy that Israel's response to any attack from Hezbollah would be swift, harsh, and painful. He also stated that Israel had no intentions of a full war.

On Monday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken had a conversation with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, as stated by U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.

Miller stated that the Secretary reaffirmed the US's unwavering dedication to securing Israel against threats from Iranian-backed terrorist groups, including Hezbollah. He highlighted the significance of preventing the conflict from escalating and shared details about ongoing efforts to achieve a diplomatic resolution, allowing citizens on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border to return home.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Emmanuel Macron, the French president, assured Benjamin Netanyahu that France was fully committed to preventing a new escalation in the region by sending messages to all parties involved in the conflict. Unlike Germany and Britain, France has not classified Hezbollah as a terrorist organization in its entirety. Israel and the U.S. have urged France to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist group.

Flights to and from Beirut have been halted by Air France, as well as Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines, and Eurowings, due to the anticipation of a significant conflict.

The Druze community in Israel is still recovering from the unexpected violence inflicted by Hezbollah.

On Sunday, the residents of the predominantly Druze village of Majdal Shams mourned the loss of 12 young victims and 29 others who were injured in a Hezbollah rocket attack that occurred on Saturday while many of them were playing soccer.

The Druze, who trace their lineage to the Biblical figure Jethro, have served in senior positions in public and military life in Israel. Their bond with Jewish soldiers is known as the "covenant of blood." Despite speaking Arabic, the Druze are not Muslim and are very guarded about their religious beliefs, as reported by the TPS news agency.

At a press conference in Japan on Sunday, Blinken stated, "I emphasize Israel's right to defend its citizens and our commitment to ensuring they can do so. However, we do not want the conflict to escalate or spread," according to Reuters.

On Sunday, U.S. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson confirmed that the rocket fired from Lebanon was launched by Hezbollah, and that it was their rocket. She condemned the attack and urged all nations to do the same.

The criticism on social media on Sunday was sparked by the failure to identify Hezbollah as the perpetrator of the Saturday massacre in the X post of the American Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew.

David Wurmser, a former senior adviser for nonproliferation and Middle East strategy for former Vice President Dick Cheney, responded to Lew's message on X by stating that if he did not know better, it seemed that the attack occurred spontaneously due to an evil missile acting on its own.

Josep Borrell, the European Union's foreign policy head, faced criticism for not attributing the murder of children to Hezbollah's use of an Iranian rocket.

During a Sunday operational briefing, Israel's Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant stated that Hezbollah, despite their denials, will face severe consequences for their actions.

The U.S.-designated terrorist group, Hezbollah, was initially boasting about the attack through Hezbollah-linked media, but later denied responsibility once the true horror of the attack became clear. The Israelis placed the blame on Hezbollah.

On Saturday, approximately 30 projectiles were identified crossing into Israel from Lebanon, where the U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hezbollah is the de facto ruler.

The IDF is increasing its readiness for war in the north, as stated by Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi during a tour of the area. The IDF is simultaneously fighting in Gaza and knows how to attack from a distance. The challenges ahead will require the IDF to raise its readiness.

"We have determined the origin of the rocket launch. We found the remnants of the rocket on the soccer field wall and can confirm that it is a Falaq rocket with a 53-kilogram warhead. This is a Hezbollah rocket. Anyone who launches such a rocket into an urban area intends to kill civilians, including children," Halevi stated.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, a Senior Fellow at FDD Iran, stated that the rocket used in the recent attack on Israel was designed and originated from Iran. He emphasized that Iranian officials' threats against Israel are not mere words, but rather a call to action. The Falaq-1, a spin-stabilized artillery rocket with a range of 10km and a 50kg warhead, was used in the attack.