Israeli Defense Minister Warns IDF Will ‘Crush Hezbollah’s Head’ Over Ceasefire Violations

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stern warning on Sunday during a visit to an IDF position in Southern Lebanon, vowing that the military would “crush Hezbollah’s head” if the Iranian-backed terror group violates the ceasefire agreement.

“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 stated, underscoring Israel’s determination to prevent Hezbollah from reestablishing its terror infrastructure near the border.

Under the terms of the ceasefire deal reached on November 26, Hezbollah must retreat north of the Litani River, while the Lebanese Armed Forces and U.N. monitors from the Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) deploy along the 75-mile frontier. Israeli forces are set to withdraw gradually over a 60-day period.

Despite the agreement, the IDF continues operations to dismantle Hezbollah’s assets in Southern Lebanon. Engineering troops from the 91st Division’s 188th Brigade have uncovered and destroyed multiple Hezbollah facilities, including:

• A combat compound containing eight weapons storage facilities with anti-tank missiles, explosives, communication equipment, and computers.

• An underground command and control center connected by a tunnel used to plan attacks and direct rocket fire at northern Israeli communities.

• A weapons storage facility embedded inside a mosque, housing rifles, grenades, and explosives.

The IDF emphasized its commitment to “removing threats in Southern Lebanon in accordance with the understandings between Israel and Lebanon and the conditions of the ceasefire.”

On Saturday, an Israeli aircraft struck a Hezbollah operative in Southern Lebanon after detecting weapons being loaded into a vehicle, which the IDF said violated the ceasefire terms. The IDF noted that its 98th Division, after three months in Lebanon, dismantled over 300 Hezbollah sites before redeploying to the Gaza Strip.

Katz reaffirmed Israel’s goal of ensuring the safety of northern residents. “We will not allow Hezbollah to return to the southern [Lebanese] villages to reestablish the terror infrastructure that poses a threat to the northern [Israeli] communities,” he said.

Israel’s operations in Lebanon began in October after a year of Hezbollah rocket and missile attacks, prompting decisive military action.

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