Hezbollah will deliberately target civilians and strike deep into Israel in response to the elimination of Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr, a spokesperson for Iran’s Permanent Mission to the UN told CBS on Friday.

“Until now, Hezbollah and the [Israeli] regime have, in an unwritten understanding, practically adhered to certain limits in their military operations, meaning that confining their actions to border areas and shallow zones, targeting primarily military objectives,” the spokesperson said.

“However, the regime’s attack on Dahieh in Beirut and the targeting of a residential building marked a deviation from these boundaries. We anticipate that, in its response, Hezbollah will choose both broader and deeper targets, and will not restrict itself solely to military targets and means.”

Shukr ordered the strike on Israel that killed 12 children in the Druze town of Majdal Shams.

Tensions are at a height in the Middle East after Israel’s eminiation of Shukr and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Iran has vowed to punish Israel and according to Western intelligence agencies, is planning to attack Israel together with Hezbollah on Tisha B’Av.

(YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)