Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party dismissed the comments by Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri by responding, "Poor man, Hizbullah murdered his father and he is in a hostage situation."

The Lebanese Prime Minister said in an interview with the BBC that Israel was escalating its threats against Lebanon as well as Syria. He said that his country would stand united against Israel. This would include the Hizbullah terrorist group which waged war against Israeli in 2006.

Hariri's father, Rafiq Hariri was assassinated in 2005. Lebanon is divided between Christian and Muslim Arabs.