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Israel issued a warning on Sunday indicating that it would intensify its military actions against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, following a report from the Lebanese health ministry about four fatalities due to an Israeli airstrike.
Despite a ceasefire with the Lebanese militant group established in November 2024, Israel continues to maintain forces in five regions of southern Lebanon and has persisted with regular air strikes.
“Hezbollah is playing with fire, and the president of Lebanon is dragging his feet,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.
“The Lebanese government’s commitment to disarm Hezbollah and remove it from southern Lebanon must be implemented. Maximum enforcement will continue and even intensify — we will not allow any threat to the residents of the north.” Katz added.
In the aftermath of Hezbollah launching rockets into Israel after the conflict in Gaza erupted in October 2023, thousands of Israelis residing near the northern border with Lebanon had to evacuate their homes for several months.
This triggered a protracted conflict lasting over a year, culminating in two months of active warfare before a ceasefire was reached last year.
Although the Iran-backed militant group has suffered significant setbacks during the war, it remains well-armed and financially capable.
In September 2024, Israeli forces eliminated the group’s long-time leader, Hassan Nasrallah, along with several other high-ranking officials throughout the course of the war.
Since the ceasefire, the United States has augmented pressure on Lebanese authorities to disarm the group, a proposal that has faced opposition from Hezbollah and its supporters.
Regardless of the truce, Israel has consistently conducted air strikes in Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah positions, and has recently escalated these attacks.
On Thursday, Israeli ground forces carried out a lethal raid in southern Lebanon, prompting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to direct the military to confront such foreign incursions. Aoun had sought discussions with Israel in mid-October after a ceasefire in Gaza was brokered with the help of US President Donald Trump.
However, Aoun later accused Israel of escalating its air strikes in response to his proposal, with the latest attack resulting in four deaths in the Nabatiyeh district on Saturday, as reported by the Lebanese health ministry.
The official Lebanese National News Agency noted that the Israeli military targeted a vehicle “with a guided missile.”
The Israeli military confirmed the airstrike, stating that it resulted in the death of a member of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force in southern Lebanon.
