As the government was gearing up to greenlight a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed Tuesday to intervene militarily at even the smallest infraction, including stopping the Iran-backed terror group from rearming near the Israeli border. “We will act against any threat, anytime and anywhere,” Katz told UN Special Envoy for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, according to a statement by his office. The comment underlined Israeli jitters that a ceasefire deal set to be implemented in the coming days would prove ineffective at securing the frontier after years in which UN observers and the international community failed to keep the group from building up a military presence in southern Lebanon.

Katz met with Hennis-Plasschaert in Tel Aviv only hours before the security cabinet was scheduled to endorse a 60-day cease-fire, which would halt roughly 14 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, including two months of intensive battle.

Israel has long complained about the inability to follow UN Resolution 1701, which was enacted in 2006 and prohibits Hezbollah or any other armed group other than the Lebanese army from establishing a military presence within 30 km of the Israeli border. In reality, Hezbollah continued to operate extensively in southern Lebanon, building tunnels near the border, storing weapons, firing rockets and missiles at Israel, and preparing a mass invasion into Israeli territory days after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught in the south, which Israel claims was eventually foiled.

For the past two months, Israel has attempted to reduce Hezbollah’s hold on southern Lebanon with an aerial bombardment campaign and a limited ground operation in which soldiers searched villages for rockets and other weapons owned by the terror group.

Lebanon plans to send 5,000 troops south soon the IDF withdraws. Ahead of the expected truce, Israel threatens to act decisively to prevent Hezbollah regrouping. Defence minister says UN envoy it will not hold back on preventing terror group from rebuilding near border, as EU’s Borrell insists Israel stop making ‘excuses’ and adhere to truce. By Lazar Berman. Follow and Agencies. Today, 2:35 PM. On November 26, 2024, smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that struck Hezbollah in Beirut’s southern suburbs. (Ibrahim Amro/AFP) On November 26, 2024, smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that struck Hezbollah in Beirut’s southern suburbs. (Ibrahim Amro/AFP) 7 As the cabinet was about to approve a cease-fire agreement with Hezbollah in Lebanon.The international community has sought commitments to help strengthen the Lebanese army so that it can more effectively control Hezbollah. According to officials, the agreement due to be approved Tuesday calls for Israeli troops to withdraw from south Lebanon and Lebanon’s army to deploy in the region, which is a Hezbollah stronghold, within 60 days. Hezbollah would withdraw its armed forces from the border south of the Litani River.

The international community has sought agreements to help build the Lebanese army so that it can better handle Hezbollah. According to officials, the agreement set to be approved on Tuesday calls for Israeli troops to withdraw from soul

“Every house in southern Lebanon that is rebuilt and in which a terrorist base is established will be demolished, every rearming and regrouping by terrorists will be attacked, every attempt to smuggle weapons will be thwarted, and every threat to our forces or Israeli citizens will be immediately destroyed,” Katz warned.He also demanded “effective enforcement” from UNIFIL, the international peacekeeping organization in Lebanon, which Israel charges has failed miserably in its central mission — keeping southern Lebanon free of military threats to Israel.UNIFIL argues that it is merely an observer force, placing the onus on the Lebanese army, which is seen as poorer and less powerful than the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

The international community has sought commitments to help strengthen the Lebanese army so that it can more effectively control Hezbollah. According to officials, the agreement due to be approved Tuesday calls for Israeli troops to withdraw from south Lebanon and Lebanon’s army to deploy in the region, which is a Hezbollah stronghold, within 60 days. Hezbollah would withdraw its armed forces from the border south of the Litani River.

“We don’t know how long it will last,” the official stated about the truce. “It could be a month, it could be a year.” While far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has denounced the agreement and indicated that he will vote against it, he stated in an interview with Radio 103FM on Tuesday that he will not bring down the government over it. Local mayors in the north, as well as other observers, have urged the government not to adopt the accord, referring to it as a “surrender.”