Israel Signals Tough Stance on Hezbollah as Ceasefire Anniversary Approaches

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US envoy for Lebanon affairs Morgan Ortagus amid rising tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border. Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Intelligence Chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder also attended, marking a high-level review of security concerns one year after the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire.

Israeli officials warn that if Hezbollah does not significantly disarm by the end of the agreement period, “another round of fighting in the north is almost inevitable.”

They allege Lebanon’s government and army have failed to curb Hezbollah’s expansion and the accumulation of missiles and rockets smuggled from Syria.

A deadline for reassessing the ceasefire is set for December 31, with Israeli and US officials prepared for all scenarios. Representatives overseeing the truce are meeting Wednesday in Naqoura, with Ortagus expected to convey Israel’s message to Beirut: Hezbollah must disarm, or Israel will act.

Heightened activity along the frontier and frustrations over the pace of disarmament have intensified scrutiny of UNIFIL’s role and Lebanon’s enforcement of the ceasefire.

via The Jerusalem Times