Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem warned Israel on Sunday that if it does not withdraw its forces from Lebanon by Feb. 18, “we will know how to deal with it.
“Israel must fully withdraw on February 18, it has no excuse,” the Hezbollah chief said in a televised address cited by France 24.
“It is the responsibility of the Lebanese state to take a firm stance and force Israel to withdraw,” he added.
If Israeli forces remain in Southern Lebanon, he continued, “Everyone understands how [Hezbollah] will deal with the occupation.”
This was not the first warning issued by Qassem.
On Jan. 4, he announced that his group’s patience “might run out” over alleged Israeli violations of the terms of the truce.
“When we decide to act, you will see it immediately,” the leader of the Shi’ite terrorist group said.
The Israeli Air Force on Sunday evening carried out strikes on several Hezbollah sites in Lebanon housing rocket launchers and weapons, the IDF said.
The Israel Defense Forces emphasized that the presence of terrorist infrastructure at these locations violated agreements between Jerusalem and Beirut, and that Israel remains committed to neutralizing any threats to its security.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces are to gradually withdraw from Southern Lebanon as the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) assume responsibility for ensuring Hezbollah remains disarmed south of the Litani River.
However, there has been growing concern in Jerusalem regarding the LAF’s ability to curb Hezbollah’s presence. In response, the IDF continues frequent border operations to prevent the group from regaining strength, including intelligence gathering, reconnaissance and clearing terrain to disrupt terrorist movements.
The ceasefire, which took effect on Nov. 27, mandated an Israeli withdrawal within 60 days. However, the U.S.-monitored arrangement between Lebanon and Israel is set to continue until Feb. 18, according to a White House statement on Jan. 26.
