Israel Warns Lebanon to Disarm Hezbollah or Face Severe Consequences

Israel delivered a stark warning to Lebanon’s leadership, urging the country to take immediate steps to disarm Hezbollah and enforce existing agreements before the situation escalates further.

Defense Minister Israel Katz issued the message following a high-level security assessment with senior Israeli military leaders, including Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, as Israel continues to confront threats on multiple fronts.

Katz directed his remarks to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and the Lebanese government, stating that Beirut had already committed to enforcing an agreement requiring Hezbollah to disarm but has yet to fulfill that obligation.

“You pledged to uphold the agreement and disarm Hezbollah and this is not happening,” Katz said. “Act and enforce it before we do even more.”

The defense minister emphasized that Israel will not tolerate attacks originating from Lebanese territory against Israeli civilians or soldiers.

“We will not allow harm to our communities or to our soldiers,” Katz said.

He made clear that Israel’s foremost responsibility is the safety of its citizens and military personnel.

“If the choice is between protecting our citizens and soldiers or protecting the State of Lebanon, we will choose our citizens and soldiers and the Lebanese government and Lebanon will pay a very heavy price.”

Katz also warned that Hezbollah’s leadership continues to endanger Lebanon itself by aligning the country with Iran’s regional agenda.

Referencing Hezbollah’s past leadership, Katz said the group’s actions have repeatedly brought destruction to Lebanon.

“If Hassan Nasrallah destroyed Lebanon, then Naim Qassem will destroy it as well,” he said, referring to Hezbollah’s current leader.

Israeli officials have long argued that Hezbollah operates as an Iranian proxy, using Lebanese territory as a launch platform for attacks against Israel while drawing Lebanon into conflicts that harm its own population.

Despite the strong warning, Katz reiterated that Israel has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon.

“We have no territorial claims against Lebanon,” he said.

However, he stressed that Israel will not allow the situation that existed in previous years when Hezbollah repeatedly launched rockets and attacks from southern Lebanon to return.

“We will not allow Lebanese territory to again become a platform for attacks against the State of Israel.”

Katz concluded with a direct appeal to Lebanon’s leadership to take responsibility before Israel feels compelled to escalate its response.

“Do and act before we do even more,” he said.

The warning reflects Israel’s determination to ensure that Hezbollah no longer threatens communities along its northern border.

Israel continues to defend its citizens while urging regional governments to prevent terrorist organizations from using their territory as a base for aggression. Share this article and subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed on developments affecting Israel and the Middle East.