Israel warns Lebanon IDF attacks won’t be limited to Hezbollah if ceasefire fails

‘Lebanon must pay a price’ – Israeli ministers say Lebanese military must prevent Hezbollah attacks or face Israeli retaliation.

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli leaders warned Beirut Tuesday that if the current ceasefire with Hezbollah fails due to Lebanon’s failure to enforce the truce in its territory, Israel will hold the Lebanese government responsible.

On Monday, Hezbollah terrorists shelled Mount Dov, inside Israeli territory, the most significant breach of the ceasefire since it went into effect last Wednesday.

A day later, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz (Likud) issued a statement, warning that should the truce continue to be violated and the ceasefire agreement collapse, Israel will not limit its retaliatory strikes to Hezbollah itself, but will instead hold the Lebanese government responsible.

“There will no longer be an exemption for the state of Lebanon,” Katz said while visiting Israel’s northern border Tuesday.

“We will work with all our might to enforce all the understandings of the ceasefire agreement, and we show maximum response and zero tolerance.”

“Yesterday was the first test, the shooting at Mount Dov. We reacted strongly and this is exactly what we will do, and we will not allow Hezbollah to return to the old methods they had, such as the [Hezbollah] tent that was set up and not attacked.”

Katz demanded that Beirut “authorize the Lebanese army to enforce their part, to keep Hezbollah away beyond the Litani and to dismantle all the infrastructure.”

“If they don’t do it and this whole agreement collapses then the reality will be very clear. First of all, if we return to war we will act strongly, we will go deeper, and the most important thing they need to know, that there will be no longer be an exemption for the state of Lebanon.”

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionist Party) echoed Katz’s statements during an interview Tuesday with Kan Reshet Bet.

“The IDF is enforcing the agreement and the Lebanese government needs to pay a price so that it has an incentive to enforce the agreement,” Smotrich said.