Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz met with UN special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, on Monday, telling her that "if the Lebanese government continues to shelter under the shadow of the Hezbollah terror organization, fire will burn the cedars of Lebanon."
Earlier in the day, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also met with Hennis-Plasschaert, and warned that Hezbollah was “systematically deploying its terrorists and assets next to UNIFIL stations, taking advantage of UNIFIL’s presence for its hostile actions.”
Escalation has been mounting between Israel and Hezbollah in recent days, with expanding evacuation zones and targeting north of the Litani River as the Iran-backed militant group continues to harass Israeli soldiers deployed in southern Lebanon.
Katz Warns of Breaking Point
Israel’s Defense Minister warned that Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem was "playing with fire," referencing his speech earlier Monday, in which he called on Lebanon to withdraw from negotiations and promised to fight on, according to remarks issued by the minister's office.
In the same breath, Katz cast his attention on the Lebanese presidency saying, “Aoun is gambling with Lebanon’s future. There will be no reality of a ceasefire in Lebanon alongside fire on our forces and on the communities of the Galilee."
His rhetoric reflects a growing frustration with government inaction on Hezbollah disarmament, despite repeated promises by Lebanese decision-makers. Katz stressed that "the Lebanese government must ensure that Hezbollah is disarmed, first of all south of the Litani [River]... and afterward throughout all of Lebanon." He also stressed that the IDF was prepared to help them in this mission.
Sa’ar Calls on Beirut
Earlier in the day, Israeli Foreign Minister Sa’ar told Hennis-Plasschaert that UNIFIL was being used as cover for Hezbollah actions, stressing that Hezbollah violations to the ceasefire are persistent.
Sa’ar said Hezbollah was using staging grounds near UNIFIL positions “for surveillance against IDF forces and [was] moving its terrorists in vehicles identical to those of UNIFIL.” He said that Hezbollah had fired 10,000 rockets, missiles, and drones at Israel since March 2 and that “many of these attacks were launched near UNIFIL positions.”
The Israeli Foreign Minister reiterated that “the Government of Lebanon must act decisively against Hezbollah and its terrorists, including through financial measures targeting its sources of funding.”
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