International
oi-Gaurav Sharma
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear that Israel will continue targeting Hezbollah, despite a fragile ceasefire arrangement involving Iran and the United States.
The remarks came after a wave of Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon, which reportedly killed several people, including a nephew and close aide of Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed Israel will continue targeting Hezbollah despite a fragile Iran-US ceasefire, aiming to protect civilians and restore northern security, while dismissing Iran’s violation claims ahead of planned talks in Islamabad.
Netanyahu: Operations Will Continue
Netanyahu said Israel’s military campaign against Hezbollah is ongoing and focused on protecting Israeli civilians.
According to the Israeli leader, the military is striking the group with “force, precision and determination.” He warned that anyone involved in attacks against Israeli citizens would face retaliation.
Netanyahu also indicated that the operations would not be limited to specific locations, saying Israel would continue hitting Hezbollah targets “wherever necessary.”
He added that the broader objective of the campaign is to restore security in northern Israel and allow residents who were forced to leave their homes due to cross-border tensions to return safely.
Lebanon Strikes Complicate Ceasefire
Israel’s continued operations in Lebanon have raised questions about the stability of the temporary ceasefire agreement that recently paused direct confrontation between the United States and Iran.
Tehran has accused Israel and the United States of violating the understanding that led to the ceasefire. Iranian officials warned that continued strikes could undermine upcoming diplomatic talks planned in Islamabad.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Israel had breached several provisions that formed the basis of the temporary agreement.
He cited three main concerns: ongoing attacks in Lebanon, alleged violations of Iranian airspace and disputes over Iran’s right to enrich uranium.
Ghalibaf said Iran’s distrust of Washington comes from what he described as repeated breaches of commitments.
Israel Rejects Violation Claims
Netanyahu has dismissed the accusations, arguing that the ceasefire agreement was only intended to address direct conflict with Iran and did not apply to Hezbollah or operations in Lebanon.
“I insisted that the temporary ceasefire with Iran would not include Hezbollah,” Netanyahu said, maintaining that Israeli strikes against the group will continue.
The Israeli prime minister also claimed that recent attacks delivered a major setback to Hezbollah, saying Israeli forces struck around 100 targets in just ten minutes in areas the group believed were protected.
Diplomatic Talks Loom
Attention is now turning to the upcoming talks in Islamabad, where Iranian and American representatives are expected to meet to discuss the future of the ceasefire.
However, the continued Israeli campaign against Hezbollah and Iran’s allegations of violations have increased uncertainty around the negotiations, raising concerns that the fragile pause in fighting could unravel quickly.
