Israel Defense Minister Katz: ‘Hezbollah Is Playing With Fire, Lebanon’s President Is Dragging His Feet’
Israel’s defense minister warned that Hezbollah’s recent actions along the northern border could trigger a broader escalation, accusing Lebanon’s leadership of failing to rein in the Iranian-backed group.
“Hezbollah is playing with fire, and the president of Lebanon is dragging his feet,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement Monday. “The Lebanese government must uphold its commitment to disarm Hezbollah and remove it from southern Lebanon. Enforcement will not only continue—it will intensify. We will not allow threats against our northern communities.”
The remarks came after Israeli forces carried out a targeted airstrike in southern Lebanon that killed the logistics officer of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force. The Israel Defense Forces said the operative had coordinated weapons transfers and worked to rebuild the group’s military infrastructure in the region. Three additional members of the same unit were also killed in the attack, Lebanese media reported.
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According to the IDF, the strike was a direct response to Hezbollah’s ongoing cross-border activity, which the military said violates longstanding agreements between the two countries. “These operatives posed an active danger to Israel and its citizens,” an army statement read, adding that operations would continue until the threat was eliminated.
The exchange follows a series of confrontations along the Israel-Lebanon border in recent weeks. Tensions rose further after the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, claimed it had downed an Israeli drone near Kfar Kila, close to the town of Metula.
A senior Israeli officer sharply criticized UNIFIL’s behavior, telling local media that the organization was focusing on filming Israeli soldiers instead of fulfilling its monitoring mandate. “They’re not acting as a neutral body,” the officer said. “We have sent clear messages condemning these unusual and suspicious activities that exceed their mission parameters.”
Katz’s warning signaled that Israel is prepared to escalate its military campaign if Hezbollah continues to challenge its red lines, leaving the volatile northern front poised for potential flare-ups.
