Israeli PM Netanyahu says they will return residents of the north to their homes

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Wednesday to return tens of thousands of residents evacuated from northern border areas to their homes amid mounting tensions with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In a brief video statement, Netanyahu did not mention the operation that remotely detonated thousands of pagers and hand-held radio devices used by Hezbollah operatives, an attack for which the group has blamed Israel.

"I have said it before: We will return the citizens of the north to their homes safely, and that is exactly what we are going to do," Netanyahu said, offering no further details.

Reuters