\u201cHezbollah is playing with fire, and the president of Lebanon is dragging his feet,\u201d said Israel Katz. \u201cThe Lebanese government\u2019s commitment to disarm Hezbollah and remove it from southern Lebanon must be implemented.”<\/p>\n
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) \u2014 Israel warned Sunday that it would intensify its military operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, citing Beirut\u2019s failure to disarm the Iran-backed militant group in accordance with the ceasefire agreement signed in November 2024.<\/p>\n
The warning came a day after Lebanon\u2019s health ministry said four people were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the southern Nabatiyeh district.<\/p>\n
The Israeli military later confirmed the strike, stating that it had targeted a member of Hezbollah\u2019s elite Radwan Force involved in weapons transfers and efforts to reestablish the group\u2019s infrastructure near the border.<\/p>\n
\u201cHezbollah is playing with fire, and the president of Lebanon is dragging his feet,\u201d Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. \u201cThe Lebanese government\u2019s commitment to disarm Hezbollah and remove it from southern Lebanon must be implemented.”<\/p>\n
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“Maximum enforcement will continue and even intensify \u2014 we will not allow any threat to the residents of the north.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Despite the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, Israel has maintained a limited presence in five strategic zones in southern Lebanon and continues to conduct precise strikes on Hezbollah targets.<\/p>\n
The move reflects growing frustration in Jerusalem and Washington over Beirut\u2019s inability\u2014or unwillingness\u2014to assert control over its own territory and curb the militia\u2019s activities.<\/p>\n
Lebanon\u2019s Unfulfilled Commitments<\/p>\n
Under the terms of the 2024 ceasefire, Lebanon\u2019s government pledged to remove Hezbollah fighters and heavy weapons from the southern border region in compliance with United Nations resolutions.<\/p>\n
However, almost a year later, Hezbollah remains entrenched across the area, operating outside state authority and maintaining thousands of rockets, drones, and advanced munitions supplied by Iran.<\/p>\n
U.S. officials have repeatedly emphasized that Lebanon\u2019s failure to implement the disarmament clause constitutes a direct violation of both the ceasefire terms and international law.<\/p>\n
The presence of Hezbollah\u2019s 40,000-strong militia continues to undermine the authority of the Lebanese Armed Forces, whose soldiers are underpaid, poorly equipped, and unable to match the group\u2019s military strength or discipline.<\/p>\n