Netanyahu threatens ‘intense war’ if Hezbollah violates fragile ceasefire

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday threatened Hezbollah with an “intense war” if it violated a fragile Lebanon ceasefire that has been strained for a second day under pressure from both sides.

Hours ago, the Israeli army announced that it had hit a Hezbollah weapons facility in Southern Lebanon and that “terrorist activity was detected” there. He had previously opened fire on people he said violated the ceasefire.

The ceasefire, which came into force before dawn on Wednesday, aims to end the war in Lebanon that has killed thousands and led to mass displacement in both Lebanon and Israel.

“I have instructed the Israeli army, if necessary, to launch an ‘intense war’ in case of any violation of the ceasefire,” Netanyahu said in an interview with Israeli broadcaster Channel 14.

Previously, the Israeli army announced that “terrorist activity was detected in a facility used by Hezbollah to store medium-range rockets in southern Lebanon” and added that “the threat was prevented by the air force.”

Nazih Eid, mayor of Baysariyeh in southern Lebanon, told Agence France-Presse that part of his town had been hit.

“They targeted a forested area inaccessible to civilians,” he said.

The agreement to end the war in Lebanon was brokered by Israel’s biggest ally, the United States and France.

A US official told reporters on condition of anonymity that, according to the agreement, Israeli troops will maintain their positions, but “a 60-day period will begin in which the Lebanese military and security forces will begin to deploy towards the south.”

The official then said that Israel should begin a gradual withdrawal before a gap is created into which Hezbollah or others can quickly enter.
two injured

On Thursday, the Lebanese army deployed to the south, where Hezbollah has long dominated and where only the army and UN peacekeepers will maintain an armed presence under the terms of the ceasefire.

The Israeli and Lebanese armies called on residents of frontline villages to refrain from returning to their homes immediately.

Israeli fire injured two people in the border village early Thursday, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.

The Israeli army said that “in the last hour, a number of suspects have been identified who arrived in vehicles in some parts of southern Lebanon in violation of the ceasefire conditions.”

The statement stated that the army “opened fire on them” and that the Israeli army “will remain in southern Lebanon and will actively implement violations of the ceasefire agreement.”

But for the most part, the ceasefire appeared to hold.

A Lebanese army source said its forces were “conducting patrols and establishing checkpoints” south of the Litani River before advancing into areas where Israeli forces were still present.

The Israeli military on Thursday imposed a nightly curfew in areas south of the river, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border.
Demolition

While there is joy in Lebanon over the end of the war, the country faces a long recovery process.

Tens of thousands of Lebanese who fled their homes during the war returned to their towns and villages to find them devastated.

“Despite all the devastation and sadness, we are happy to be back,” said Umm Mohammed Bzeih, a widow who fled the southern village of Zibqin with her four children two months ago.

“I feel like our souls have returned,” he said, visibly exhausted as he swept up the broken glass and debris that covered the carpet on the floor.

In the border village of Qlayaa, people threw rice and flowers to celebrate the arrival of Lebanese soldiers.

The village, which is mostly Christian, is located in a region where mostly Shiite Muslim communities live.

Lebanon is deeply politically and sectarianly divided, and Hezbollah has long dominated the Shiite population.

Qlayaa residents chanted “We only want the Lebanese army” while applauding and cheering the soldiers and waving the Lebanese flag.
Crisis

Even before the conflict, Lebanon had been struggling with political and economic crises for years; World Bank figures earlier this year showed poverty had tripled in a decade.

There was a glimmer of hope on Thursday when the NNA reported that parliament would meet to elect a president on January 9, ending the two-year vacancy.

On Wednesday, in its first statement after the ceasefire, Hezbollah said its fighters “will be fully prepared to deal with the ambitions and attacks of Israel’s enemies.”

Hezbollah lawmaker Hasan Fadlallah told AFP that his group had cooperated with the military’s deployment to the south, adding that the group had “no visible weapons or bases” in the region.
Skepticism

In Israel’s north, which has been under constant attack by Hezbollah for more than a year, there was hope mixed with doubts about whether the ceasefire would continue.

Nissim Ravivo, 70, who lives in the coastal city of Nahariya near the Lebanese border, expressed his disappointment.

“It’s a shame, we should have continued for at least two more months and finished the job,” he said. “We still don’t feel safe and we’re not happy with the situation.”

Lebanon says at least 3,961 people have been killed in the country since October 2023, most in recent weeks.

Authorities say at least 82 soldiers and 47 civilians were killed in clashes with Hezbollah on the Israeli side.