Israel warns Lebanon: no concessions if cease-fire fails

Israel warned Lebanon on Tuesday that any failure to reach a cease-fire agreement with Hezbollah will have drastic consequences. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said his country will take a "zero tolerance" stance on further violations, making it clear that the current distinction between Lebanon and the terrorist group will be eliminated.

"We will work with all our might to enforce all the understandings of the ceasefire agreement, and we show maximum response and zero tolerance," Katz said.

In addition, the minister urged the Lebanese government to authorize its army to fulfill its part of the agreement, which includes keeping Hezbollah away from the Litani River and dismantling the terrorist group's infrastructure in southern Lebanon. "If they don’t do it and this whole agreement collapses then the reality will be very clear," he warned, recalling that so far, Israel has maintained a distinction between the Lebanese state and Hezbollah.

"If until now we have distinguished between the state of Lebanon and Hezbollah, and between Beirut as a whole and [its southern suburb, a Hezbollah stronghold] Dahiyeh, which we have struck very hard, this will no longer be [the case]," he asserted.

Escalating violence

Katz's warning came after a series of Israeli air strikes in retaliation for Hezbollah mortar fire into the Mount Dov area of the Golan Heights. This region was recognized as part of Israeli territory by the Donald Trump administration in 2019.

Uncertain prospects

Despite mediation attempts and warnings from various parties, the future of the ceasefire remains uncertain. With an agreement seemingly on the verge of collapse, the international community is closely watching developments, which could unleash a new phase of confrontation in a region already marked by historic tensions.