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Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened on February 2 that Hezbollah would pay a “very heavy price” if it continued to launch drones at Israel amid the ceasefire.
Katz made the threat while touring IDF positions there alongside senior military commanders to monitor the implementation of the extension of the ceasefire agreement, which was brokered by the United States and first entered into effect on November 27 then expanded on January 26.
“In recent days we have seen attempts to launch drones at Israel,” Katz said. “I want to send a clear message from here to Hezbollah and the Lebanese government: Israel won’t agree to drones being launched from Lebanon. We won’t allow a return to the reality of October 7, [2023]. We will foil threats and respond with full force.”
Under the original ceasefire agreement, Israeli troops and Hezbollah forces were both supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 26.
On January 30, the IDF said that it shot down a drone launched by Hezbollah for the first time during the ceasefire. Later that night, Israeli fighter jets carried out airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in eastern Lebanon, killing two people and wounding several others.
“Either there won’t be drones, or there won’t be Hezbollah,” Katz said. “I suggest that the successor to the successor of [slain Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah not underestimate Israel’s determination as his predecessors did, lest he pay a very heavy price.”
Israel killed Nasrallah on September 27. Just a week later, it killed his assumed successor, Hashem Safieddine. The group is currently headed by Naim Qassem.
Naim Qassem
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah broke out as a result of the war in the Gaza Strip, which was in turn sparked by the Hamas-led October 7 surprise attack. More than 4,000 people were killed in Lebanon, with over 130 others on the Israeli side.
In a recent speech, the Hezbollah leader accused Israel of violating the ceasefire more than 1,350 times. Despite this, the group continues to show restraint, likely due to the heavy losses it took during the last round of fighting in addition to international and internal pressure.
Speaking on February 2, Qassem slammed Israel again for what he said were repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement, but said that his group will be “patient” and wait for the Lebanese state to fulfill its responsibility and pressure mediating countries to force Israel to stop its “aggression.”
The leader further acknowledged that Hezbollah did not achieve an “absolute victory,” but said that it has registered some gains and some losses.
The group’s main achievement, he said, was to prove the steadfastness of the “resistance” and Israel’s inability to break it.
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the zionazi hoe has more stretch marks than a clapped out idf diaper head tik tok jezzibel and got its wobbly a$$ kicked blue by the gallant resistance. hamas, hezbollah and the wonderful houthi bros have shown the israhell demon squatter that their future is not going to be in palestine if indeed they have one. onward to the end of the zionazi snake.