Israel's defense minister threatens to extend war in Lebanon if Hezbollah deal collapses
Israel threatened on Tuesday to return to war in Lebanon if its deal with Hezbollah collapses, saying this time its attack would go deeper and target Lebanon itself, after the worst day since last week's deal.
In the most threatening since the agreement was reached to end 14 months of war with Hezbollah, Israel said it will hold Lebanon responsible for failing to disarm the soldiers who violated the agreement.
“If we go back to war, we will take a strong action, we will go deep, and the most important thing they need to know: that there will be no more liberation of the country of Lebanon,” said Defense Minister Israel Katz.
“If until now we have divided the country of Lebanon and Hezbollah … it will no longer be the case [like this],” he said during a visit to the northern border.
Despite last week's agreement, the Israeli army has continued to strike in southern Lebanon against what it says are Hezbollah fighters ignoring an agreement to stop attacks and withdraw north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the Israel-Lebanon border.
On Monday, Hezbollah opened fire on the Israeli military, and Lebanese authorities said at least 12 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon. Another person was killed on Tuesday in an airstrike, Lebanon said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that any violation of the peace agreement will be punished, no matter how small.
“We are enforcing this ceasefire with an iron fist,” he said before a cabinet meeting in the northern border town of Nahariya. “We are currently in the process of a cease-fire, I note, a cease-fire, not an end to the war.”
Lebanon asks the US, France to pressure Israel to hold peace
The government in Beirut must “authorize the Lebanese army to use its share, stop Hezbollah from being on the other side of the Litani, and dismantle all the infrastructure,” Katz said.
“If they don't and this whole deal falls apart, then the truth will be very clear.”
Senior Lebanese officials have urged Washington and Paris to pressure Israel to agree to a ceasefire, after a series of military operations in Lebanon that Beirut sees as violations, two Lebanese political sources told Reuters on Tuesday.
At least nine people were killed and three wounded overnight in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, as the Israeli army said it struck dozens of Hezbollah targets across the country. The strikes came shortly after Hezbollah accused Israel of violating the ceasefire and fired missiles at an Israeli military base in the disputed Shebaa Farms area.
Sources said acting Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who is close to Hezbollah and negotiated the deal on behalf of Lebanon, spoke with officials at the White House and the French presidency late Monday.
Mikati, quoted by Lebanon's state news agency, said communications had been intensified since Monday to prevent violations of Israel's ceasefire. He also said that the recruitment campaign is being carried out by the Lebanese army to strengthen its presence in the south.
US State Department spokesman Matt Miller told reporters on Monday that the ceasefire “remains in place” and that the US “expects that there may be violations.”
Neither the French president nor the Foreign Ministry could be reached for comment. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar on Monday, saying both sides must stick to the ceasefire.
The agreement entered into force on November 27 and prohibits Israel from carrying out offensive military operations in Lebanon, while requiring Lebanon to prevent armed groups including Hezbollah from launching attacks on Israel. It gives Israeli forces 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon.
International surveillance
The United States-led mission is tasked with monitoring, verifying and helping to enforce the agreement, but has not yet begun work.
Berri on Monday urged the campaign to “urgently” ensure that Israel halts its violations, saying that Beirut has violated at least 54 of Israel's ceasefires so far.
Israel has said its continued operations in Lebanon are aimed at forcing an end to the fighting.
Lebanon's Mikati met in Beirut on Monday with US General Jasper Jeffers, who will head the monitoring committee.
Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that France's representative on the committee, General Guillaume Ponchin, will arrive in Beirut on Wednesday and the committee will hold its first meeting on Thursday.
“It is urgent that the plan be completed, otherwise it will be too late,” said the source, talking about the gradual escalation of strikes by the Israelis even though there was a cease-fire agreement.
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