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Israel’s defence minister says military will act with full force during ceasefire if soldiers face any threat in Lebanon.
SA NUR: Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz declared on Sunday that the military has been ordered to use “full force” in Lebanon, even during the ongoing ceasefire, should Israeli troops face any threat.
Speaking at a function in the occupied West Bank, Katz stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had jointly issued the instruction for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to act decisively on the ground and from the air.
He added that the military had also been directed to demolish any booby-trapped structures or roads that posed a danger to soldiers.
“The aim is to remove the houses in the villages near the border that served in every respect as Hezbollah terror outposts and threatened Israeli communities,” Katz explained.
The warning follows the death of an Israeli soldier in southern Lebanon on Friday, the day the 10-day ceasefire took effect, after he entered a booby-trapped building.
Katz has consistently stated that Israel plans to demolish houses along the border as part of establishing a security zone in southern Lebanon.
Israeli forces conducted demolitions in the town of Bint Jbeil on Saturday, an area that saw intense fighting with Hezbollah before the ceasefire was agreed.
“The overarching goal of the campaign in Lebanon is the disarmament of Hezbollah and the removal of threat to northern communities, through a combination of military and diplomatic measures,” Katz said.
He concluded by warning that if the Lebanese government continues to fail its obligations, the IDF will ensure security through continued military action.
Lebanon was drawn into the wider Middle East conflict in early March when the Iran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel.
Israel responded with extensive strikes across Lebanon and a subsequent ground invasion of the south.