He stressed that his country\u2019s leadership had been very clear: \u201cThis war does not concern us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, whose government has sought the disarmament of Iran-backed Hezbollah since taking office a year ago, urged the terror group not to drag the country into a new conflict, speaking in a newspaper interview published on Tuesday: \u201cThe Gaza adventure imposed a big cost on Lebanon. We hope that we will not be dragged into another adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said in a televised address last month that the group was \u201cnot neutral\u201d in the standoff between Washington and Tehran, and that it was \u201ctargeted by the potential aggression.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are determined to defend ourselves. We will choose in due course how to act, whether to intervene or not,\u201d Qassem said.<\/p>\n According to a Saturday report<\/a>, Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has effectively taken charge of Hezbollah in anticipation of a war with the US and Israel, with officers, some of whom recently arrived in Lebanon from Iran, being tasked with rebuilding the Shiite group\u2019s capabilities.<\/p>\n \t Lebanese army says IDF fired near troops<\/p>\n Meanwhile,\u00a0Lebanon\u2019s army on Tuesday accused the Israeli military of firing near a position it was setting up in the country\u2019s south, saying it had instructed troops to return fire.<\/p>\n In a statement, the Lebanese army said it was \u201cestablishing a new observation post on the southern border\u201d when \u201cthe area surrounding the post was subjected to gunfire from the Israeli side.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe army command issued orders to reinforce the post, remain there, and return fire.\u201d<\/p>\n There was no immediate comment from the IDF.<\/p>\n \t Israel has consistently targeted what it says are Hezbollah attempts to rebuild its force following the November 2024 ceasefire that ended a year of conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed terror group.<\/p>\n Under the agreement, Hezbollah was required to withdraw and disarm south of the Litani River, but Israel alleges that the terror group remains entrenched in the area, leading the IDF to conduct near-daily strikes.<\/p>\n Lebanon\u2019s government has committed to disarming Hezbollah, and the army last month said it had completed the first phase of its plan to do so, covering the area between the Litani River and the Israeli border about 30 kilometers (20 miles) further south.<\/p>\n The Israel-Hezbollah war started when the terror group began firing missiles across the border on October 8, 2023 \u2014 a day after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.<\/p>\n The November 2024 ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel followed an Israeli ground invasion and concurrent air assault that severely degraded the group and killed much of its leadership.<\/p>\n
If so, we have a request.\u00a0<\/p>\n Every day during the past two years of war and rising global anti-Zionism and antisemitism, our journalists kept you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fact-based coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.\u00a0<\/p>\n We care about Israel – and we know you do too. So we have an ask for this new year of 2026: express your values by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t
\t\t\t
\t\t\tAlready a member? Sign in to stop seeing this<\/a><\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.<\/p>\n Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.<\/p>\n So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing\u00a0exclusive content\u00a0available only to Times of Israel Community members.<\/p>\n Thank you, \t\t\t
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26038436096644-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tLebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, center, tours areas in southern Lebanon along the border with Israel in the village of Tayr Harfa, February 7, 2026. (AP Photo\/Mohammed Zaatari)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26052433336977-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tMourners carry the coffins of three Hezbollah terror operatives killed in Israeli strikes during their funeral procession in the village of Nabi Sheet in eastern Lebanon, February 21, 2026. (AP Photo\/Bilal Hussein)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AFP__20260208__96KP2T3__v2__HighRes__LebanonPoliticsConflictHezbollah-e1771352460330-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tLebanese army vehicles secure the street as residents gather during a visit by Lebanon\u2019s prime minister to the heavily damaged southern village of Kafr Kila, near the border with Israel on February 8, 2026. (Rabih DAHER \/ AFP)<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tIs accurate Israel coverage important to you?\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tI’m with you and will give\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tI’m with you and will give\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tYou appreciate our journalism\t\t\t<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/DH-new-headshot-circular.png\" "\\"\\"\/")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tJoin Our Community\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n