Lebanon
“In practice, Hezbollah will only grow stronger, and instead of defeating it, Israel is coming to terms with its very existence,” said Israel’s national security minister.
“There will be ups and downs, but the potential for success is great,” wrote Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli envoy in Washington.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of Liem and share in their profound grief,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted to X.
The Israel Defense Forces fired an interceptor missile toward a “target that was launched from Lebanon,” but said it subsequently lost contact with the UAV.
The agreement does not call for a withdrawal of Israeli ground forces from Lebanon and says that the initial ceasefire may be extended “as Lebanon effectively demonstrates its ability to assert its sovereignty.”
“We talked about a number of things, most importantly the long-term vision where there will be a clearly delineated border between our countries,” said Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to Washington.
Lebanon’s official news agency on Sunday described “violent clashes” in the city amid Israeli artillery shelling.
Israel ramps up ground maneuvers and mass evacuations in Southern Lebanon as it moves to dismantle Hezbollah’s presence south of the Litani River and impose a new “Yellow Line” security reality.
Despite significant degradation, Israeli observers warn that Hezbollah retains the capability for localized cross-border raids.
Ahead of Tuesday night’s Hezbollah barrage toward northern Israel, the IDF carried out preventative strikes, it said.
