Jerusalem: Israel has issued a sharp call to the Lebanese government to honour its long-standing commitment to disarm Hezbollah, warning that continued inaction threatens the fragile calm along the Israel Lebanon frontier. The statement from Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz comes amid renewed border incidents and persistent doubts over Beirut’s control of its southern territory.
In a statement released Sunday, Defense Minister Katz said Lebanon must “uphold its promise” under the terms of the November 2024 ceasefire, which ended a deadly escalation between Israel and Hezbollah. The truce, brokered by the United States and supported by France and the United Nations, required that only Lebanese state security forces be armed and operational in the southern border areas.
Katz accused Lebanon of failing to implement this clause, arguing that Hezbollah continues to maintain weapons, fortified positions, and intelligence posts near the frontier. He declared that Israel “will not stand idle while its citizens live under threat” and that “maximum enforcement” actions would continue if Lebanon failed to act decisively.
Despite international pressure, Hezbollah remains one of the most powerful entities in Lebanon militarily, politically, and economically. While it has partially withdrawn some units from the border since the ceasefire, the group still maintains an extensive arsenal and political influence that rivals the Lebanese state itself.
Lebanese officials, speaking anonymously to Reuters, admitted that the army faces major challenges in enforcing disarmament, given the group’s deep integration into Lebanese society. “The state cannot risk internal collapse by forcibly disarming Hezbollah,” one official said, noting the country’s ongoing economic and political crises.
The latest tensions come as the Israeli military announced that it had killed four Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon on Sunday. Israel did not confirm whether the strike took place across the border or within its own territory, but the incident underscores the volatility of the ceasefire agreement.
Although major clashes have subsided since the 2024 truce, sporadic cross-border exchanges of fire, drone intrusions, and targeted operations continue to threaten stability. For residents along Israel’s northern border and Lebanon’s southern villages, the spectre of another conflict looms large.
Lebanon’s government faces mounting diplomatic pressure to act. The United States, Saudi Arabia, and France have all reiterated that Beirut must reclaim full sovereignty over its territory. However, with Hezbollah’s allies still holding significant influence in the cabinet and parliament, the government’s ability to move against the group remains limited.
Analysts warn that Lebanon is trapped between two fires international demands to curb Hezbollah’s power and domestic fears of a civil backlash. Disarming Hezbollah could destabilize the already fragile political order, yet continued inaction may invite Israeli retaliation or renewed sanctions.
The 2024 truce was hailed at the time as a turning point for regional stability following a year of intense fighting sparked by the Gaza conflict. Yet, nearly a year later, the agreement appears more symbolic than practical. Lebanon’s fractured governance and Hezbollah’s entrenched military role have prevented any meaningful enforcement of the ceasefire’s disarmament provisions.
Meanwhile, Israel’s northern communities remain on high alert, with fortified shelters and evacuation drills now a routine part of life. The Israeli government maintains that a permanent peace can only be achieved if the Lebanese state not militias control the border region.
Diplomatic observers believe the next few months will be crucial. If Lebanon cannot demonstrate tangible progress toward limiting Hezbollah’s armed presence, Israel may escalate its “preventive security” operations. Such a move could unravel the ceasefire entirely, drawing both countries back into a destructive cycle of retaliation.
“The Lebanese government is at a crossroads,” said a senior regional analyst. “Either it asserts authority over Hezbollah or risks international isolation and renewed conflict. Israel, meanwhile, has made it clear that patience is running out.”
As the two nations navigate this uneasy calm, the calls for accountability and sovereignty echo louder than ever. For Israel, Hezbollah’s disarmament is seen as essential to border security. For Lebanon, it is a political impossibility that could ignite domestic unrest.
Nearly seventy years after the 1949 Armistice Agreement, the Lebanon Israel border remains one of the Middle East’s most dangerous fault lines where ceasefires may be signed, but peace remains painfully out of reach.