Israel’s defense minister warned Sunday that Hezbollah is “playing with fire” and pressed Beirut to act on its pledge to curb the Iran-backed group’s weapons in southern Lebanon, accusing the Lebanese government of failing to enforce last year’s ceasefire terms.
The message came as the Israel Defense Forces weighed broader operations after what officials described as repeated truce violations along the northern frontier.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Lebanon’s leadership was dragging its feet on commitments to dismantle Hezbollah’s weapons and remove the group from areas near the border. “Enforcement will continue and deepen, we will not allow a threat to the residents of the north,” he said.
Katz’s warning and the policy backdrop
Katz’s remarks underscored Israel’s position that Hezbollah must not use the ceasefire period to rebuild military infrastructure. Israeli officials argue the government in Beirut affirmed obligations to extend state authority in the south and restrict armed groups, and that those obligations remain binding regardless of ongoing political paralysis.
Jerusalem has paired public warnings with targeted strikes and intelligence pressure. The goal, Israeli officials say, is to prevent a return to the prewar pattern in which Hezbollah could stockpile rockets and dig defensive positions under the cover of civilian areas.
The ministry has emphasized that communities evacuated from the north will not be asked to return unless the threat is measurably reduced.
Claimed strikes on Hezbollah commanders
On Monday, the IDF said it killed Muhammad Ali Hadid, identified as a senior figure in Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, in the southern city of Nabatieh. In a separate strike near Ayta ash Shab, Israel said it hit another operative who had been observed collecting intelligence on Israeli positions.
In a statement, the military said the targets’ actions violated understandings between Israel and Lebanon and warned that operations would continue to remove threats.
A senior IDF officer on the northern border described the approach as proactive. “Hezbollah did not give up their heavy weapons,” the officer said, adding that the group remains trained and financed by Iran. “If somebody threatens us, we take control of the situation and make the threat go away.” The officer said the objective is to consolidate recent gains, prevent Hezbollah’s recovery, and deter future rocket fire on the Galilee.
Readiness on the northern front
The IDF’s 91st Division recently completed its largest exercise since the war began, according to the officer. The drill tested defensive systems, multi-branch coordination, and rapid-response procedures across sea, air, and land domains.
Commanders said the training incorporates lessons from October 7, including faster sensor-to-shooter loops, hardened communications, and preplanned civilian evacuation routes for vulnerable communities.
Israeli officials argue that a posture of quick, decisive action is essential to avoid another strategic surprise. The officer said the current quiet depends on Hezbollah’s choices, not on Israel’s willingness to defend itself. “We are not sitting and waiting for the next rocket,” he said.
Signals from Beirut and the United Nations
Lebanon’s foreign minister urged international partners to pressure Israel to halt preemptive strikes, telling a visiting European counterpart that only diplomacy can stabilize the south. He said the government is gradually moving forward on a decision to bring all weapons under state control.
The message reflects Beirut’s longstanding position that state institutions must be strengthened, even as political fragmentation and economic crisis complicate enforcement.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon voiced “deep concerns,” urging all parties to fully commit to the cessation of hostilities. UNIFIL said it remains in close contact with the Lebanese Armed Forces and stressed that extending state authority in the south is central to Resolution 1701.
Peacekeepers have increased patrols and liaison work to reduce miscalculation, but they have also warned that a localized incident could escalate quickly if red lines are misread.
