Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened to “crush Hezbollah’s head” if the Lebanon-based militant group violates the ceasefire agreement.
Katz was on a visit to an Israeli military position in southern Lebanon.
“We defanged the snake, and if Hezbollah does not withdraw beyond the Litani [River] and tries to violate the ceasefire, we will crush its head,” Katz said in the remarks shared by his office.
He further said that we will not allow Hezbollah operatives to return to the southern villages.
“We will not allow Hezbollah operatives to return to the southern villages and reestablish the terror infrastructure that will pose a threat to the northern communities,” he added.
The minister stressed that Israel would make sure that the threat was removed.
“We will ensure the removal of the threat and the restoration of security to allow the residents of the north to return safely to their homes,” Katz said.
Two Israelis charged for contact with Hezbollah
Two residents of Jerusalem were indicted for having contact with the Hezbollah group and providing them with information during the war.
The two men, Abd al-Salam Qawasameh and Taar Asili, who are in their 30s, were in contact via a WhatsApp group with a woman using the name “Diana”, who was a Hezbollah operative.
According to the indictment, even after knowing that she was a member of Hezbollah, the two men continued to maintain contact with her and shared information about Israel.
Qawasameh shared the handler photos from the coastal town for Caesarea. In Caesarea, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a private residence.
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Meanwhile, Asili sent her news articles about Israel and the security situation, the indictment read.
The pair was also allegedly asked to speak with a senior Hezbollah intelligence officer. Asili bought a new SIM card to contact the officer but refused a request to take photos in the northern border town of Metula.
The two have been charged with “contact with a foreign agent” and passing information to the enemy.
Moreover, Qawasameh has also been charged with weapon offences after he took a photo with an assault rifle that belonged to a Palestinian gunman during a visit to the West Bank city of Jenin.
The prosecution has appealed to the Jerusalem District Court to keep them in custody until the legal proceedings are concluded.
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(With inputs from agencies)