Defense Minister in situational assessment: "The destruction of the bridge over the Litani is just the beginning. Lebanon failed to dismantle Hezbollah and will pay an increasing price."
Defense Minister Israel Katz delivered a stern and unprecedented warning to the Lebanese government during a special security assessment on Friday morning, stating that Lebanon would be held responsible for Hezbollah's actions and would pay a rising price for failing to disarm the terror group. The assessment, conducted at the "pit" in the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, was attended by Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and senior security officials. The meeting took place just hours after the Israeli Air Force destroyed a key bridge on the Litani River, which had served as a major route for transferring weapons and Hezbollah operatives to southern Lebanon.
In his remarks, Katz emphasized that Israel would hold the Lebanese government directly responsible for the ongoing terror activities coming from its territory. "This is just the beginning," he declared. "The Lebanese government and the state of Lebanon will pay an increasing price in terms of lost territory and damage to national infrastructure used by Hezbollah militants." He pointed out that Israel would no longer tolerate a situation in which the Lebanese government continues to shirk its international obligations. "The Lebanese government has deceived the international community and failed to meet its commitment to disarm Hezbollah. It will continue to pay escalating costs until this fundamental obligation is fulfilled."
Katz made it clear that the destruction of Lebanese national infrastructure was a direct response to rocket fire targeting Israel. He stressed that the current campaign in Lebanon was intertwined with the broader struggle against Iran. "The Prime Minister, the IDF, and I are committed to defending the citizens of the north and all Israelis - we will do everything to fulfill this commitment both in Iran and in Lebanon." (Source)
