Israel Threatens Lebanon Over Ceasefire Violations
The already fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is hanging by a thread after a day of tit-for-tat attacks. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning on Tuesday, threatening to directly target the Lebanese state if the agreement completely collapses.
The violence escalated on Monday, marking the deadliest day since the ceasefire took effect last Wednesday. Nine people were killed in southern Lebanon following Israeli airstrikes. Hezbollah had earlier fired rockets into Israeli-occupied territory, citing numerous Israeli truce violations.
“If we return to war, we will act with strength, go deeper,” Katz declared during a visit to the 146th Division of the Israel Defense Forces near the Lebanese border. He warned that if the ceasefire dissolves, “there will no longer be any exemptions for the State of Lebanon."
"If until now we separated the State of Lebanon from Hezbollah – and the entirety of Beirut from Dahiyeh, which took very hard hits – this will no longer be the case,” Katz added.
The airstrikes, which Israel claims were in response to Hezbollah firing two rockets at Israeli-occupied territory, came just hours after a separate Israeli attack on a car near Damascus, Syria. Israel alleges the target was a senior Hezbollah figure involved in weapons smuggling. While Hezbollah hasn’t confirmed the killing, Israel rarely publicly acknowledges its attacks within Syria.
Adding fuel to the fire, both the American and French governments, according to Israeli Finance Minister Bezelal Smotrich, have expressed concerns to Israel, privately stating they believe Israeli actions are violating the ceasefire agreement. Israel maintains it is simply enforcing the terms, pointing to what it claims are "several acts by Hezbollah in Lebanon that posed a threat to Israeli civilians.”
The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, has documented approximately 100 breaches of the ceasefire by Israel since it came into effect.
Hezbollah, however, insists Israeli airstrikes and attacks on Lebanese civilians prompted their retaliatory rocket fire on Shebaa Farms, an area Israel has occupied since 1967. Their statement highlighted the "continued violation of Lebanese airspace by hostile Israeli aircraft reaching the capital, Beirut."
This fragile ceasefire, intended to disappear after a 60-day period, stipulates a retreat of Hezbollah fighters from the Israel-Lebanon border and the withdrawal of Israeli ground forces from Lebanese territory. It also tasked Lebanon with closely monitoring Hezbollah movements south of the Litani River.
With tensions escalating, the prospects for lasting peace remain uncertain. As Katz declared, "We will act with full force to enforce all the understandings of the ceasefire agreement" — a promise likely to deepen anxieties for all parties involved.
