Israel Warns Lebanon: No More Exemptions from Conflict
Israel issued a stark warning to Lebanon on Tuesday, stating that it will no longer distinguish between the country and the terrorist group Hezbollah if the fragile cease-fire agreement collapses. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that the country will show “maximum response and zero tolerance” if the agreement fails.
Katz emphasized that Beirut must take action to enforce its part of the agreement, including keeping Hezbollah away from the Litani River and dismantling all infrastructure. He warned that if Lebanon fails to comply, Israel will no longer exempt the state from its military responses.
The warning comes after Israel fired strikes on Monday, killing 11 people in response to Hezbollah’s mortar attacks in the Golan Heights. The move prompted the US and France to warn Israel that it was violating the new agreement, which the two countries helped broker.
However, a White House official downplayed the significance of the air strikes, describing them as “sporadic” and “expected” in the context of the ongoing conflict. The official noted that there has been a significant reduction in violence since October 7.
Israel’s threat to Lebanon marks a significant escalation in the conflict, which has spanned years. The country has long struggled to distinguish between Lebanon and Hezbollah, viewing the latter as an extension of Iran’s influence in the region. The distinction has been increasingly blurred, with widespread concerns that Hezbollah’s actions are not the only choice, but the only option for many.