Hezbollah praises Iran attack on Israel, calls it a new phase in conflict with Israel

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Sunday hailed Iran for its early attack on southern Israel, saying it's the beginning of a “new phase” of the conflict with Israel and the Palestinian cause.

The Iranian attack came less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building. It marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

“The operation precisely achieved its limited military objectives, despite the involvement of the United States, its allies, and its regional tools in responding to the stunning attack,” the Lebanese group said in a statement.

“The long-term political and strategic objectives for this major development will be successfully apparent over time.”