Israel Defence Minister Says Beirut Will Remain Unsettled Until Hezbollah Ceases Attacks

Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, warned on Monday that “no calm in Beirut” would exist if Hezbollah continued its attacks. He also announced plans to create a military‑controlled zone along the Litani River in southern Lebanon.

“The Dahiyeh in Beirut is no different from the communities in northern Israel — if there is no calm in the north, there will be no calm in Beirut,” Katz said in a statement released by his office. He referred to the Beirut suburb, a Hezbollah stronghold, where he had ordered strikes earlier that day.

“At the same time, the IDF continues to operate with fire and manoeuvre against Hezbollah terrorists and infrastructure in Lebanon… in order to push threats away from IDF forces and from the residents of the State of Israel, and to turn the Litani area into a zone under IDF security control, free of weapons and terrorists,” Katz added.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to advance deeper into Lebanon after declaring on Friday that much of southern Lebanon was now a “combat zone,” despite the existing ceasefire.

Following the ceasefire’s activation on April 17, Israel established a “Yellow Line” roughly a dozen kilometres inside Lebanese territory near its northern border.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun described the situation on Monday as “a vicious and reprehensible Israeli aggression.”

Both sides frequently accuse each other of violating the ceasefire’s terms.

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