Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened the Lebanese Hezbollah militia during a visit to troops in southern Lebanon on Sunday, according to his office.
“We have pulled the teeth of the snake, and if Hezbollah does not retreat beyond the Litani River and attempts to breach the ceasefire, we will crush its head,” Katz was quoted as saying.
The visit aimed to “monitor the security measures before implementing the next phases of the ceasefire agreement.”
Meanwhile, the military reported that a Hezbollah “combat facility” with weapons depots had been destroyed in southern Lebanon.
The pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia and Israel largely ended their mutual attacks at the end of November with a ceasefire. The agreement stipulates that Hezbollah must retreat behind the Litani River, about 30 kilometres north of the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Israel’s ground troops are to gradually withdraw from Lebanon within 60 days. The Lebanese army is tasked with monitoring compliance with the agreement.
