By Deutsche Welle
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz assured UN envoy to Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert on Monday that If the government of the neighboring country “continues to rely on Hezbollah, a fire will break out that will devastate Lebanon.”
“Naim Qassem is playing with fire and the fire will burn Hezbollah and all of Lebanon (…) If the Lebanese government continues to rely on the terrorist organization Hezbollah, a fire will break out that will devastate Lebanon,” Katz told Hennis-Plasschaert, referring to the general secretary of the Lebanese Shiite militia, according to an Israeli Defense statement.
According to this information, the Israeli Defense Minister stated that the Lebanese President, Joseph Aoun, is “betting on the future of Lebanon.” and that “there will be no ceasefire in Lebanon as long as shooting continues” against the Israeli Army and against the communities in northern Israel.
Hennis-Plasschaert and Katz met in the presence of other senior officials from the Ministry of Defense and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), according to the statement.
“During the meeting, the Minister of Defense emphasized that the Lebanese government must guarantee the disarmament of Hezbollah, first south of the Litani River to the Yellow Line, and then throughout Lebanon,” the note adds.
More than 2,000 dead in Lebanon due to Israeli attacks
On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a “forceful attack” on Hezbollah in Lebanon, after the three-week extension of the ceasefire announced hours earlier by the president of the United States, Donald Trump.after negotiations held in the White House between Lebanese and Israeli diplomats.
At the negotiations in Washington last Thursday, Hezbollah was absent. The exchange of fire between Israel and the Shiite group has continued in Lebanon despite this latest truce.
In fact, The Israeli Army announced this Monday that it had attacked alleged Hezbollah facilities in southern Lebanon. In addition, he said he had killed three alleged militants of the Shiite group this Sunday “in self-defense” after they approached, according to his version, the dividing line behind which his troops remain stationed.
The Shiite militia entered the regional conflict in response to the joint US-Israeli operation against Iran, which led to Israel responding even more forcefully against Lebanon. causing some 2,300 deaths and more than 7,500 injuries in seven weeks, according to official data.
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