BEIRUT: Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that the military had been instructed to use "full force" in Lebanon — even during the ongoing ceasefire — should Israeli troops face any threat. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have instructed the IDF to act with full force, both on the ground and from the air, including during the ceasefire, in order to protect our soldiers in Lebanon from any threat," Katz said at a function in the occupied West Bank. He said that the military had also been ordered to demolish any structure or roads that were "booby-trapped" and threatened soldiers. The aim is "to remove the houses in the villages near the border that served in every respect as Hezbollah threatened Israeli communities," Katz added.
An Israeli soldier was killed in southern Lebanon on Friday — the day a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect — when he entered a booby-trapped building, the military reported. Katz has repeatedly said Israel would demolish houses along the border as part of efforts to establish a security zone in southern Lebanon.
On Saturday, Israeli forces carried out demolitions in the town of Bint Jbeil, the scene of intense fighting with Hezbollah prior to the recently agreed ceasefire. "The overarching goal of the campaign in Lebanon is the disarmament of Hezbollah and the removal of threat to northern communities, through a combination of military and diplomatic measures," Katz said. "If the Lebanese government continues to fail to uphold its obligations — the IDF will do so through continued military action." Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war in early March when Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel in support of Iran. Israel responded with massive strikes across Lebanon and an invasion of southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron will on Tuesday meet with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Paris, his office announced, amidst a fragile 10-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah. The visit highlights Macron's commitment to seeing "full and complete respect for the ceasefire in Lebanon" as well as France's support for Lebanon's "territorial integrity", the president's office said on Sunday.
The visit was announced a day after France blamed Hezbollah for an ambush on UN peacekeepers which left one French soldier dead and three others wounded. Macron is to urge Lebanese authorities to "shed full light on the incident" and "identify and prosecute those responsible without delay," his office added.
An initial assessment by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) found the attack was carried out by Hezbollah, according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "UNIFIL soldiers, who are carrying out their missions in difficult conditions and supporting the delivery of humanitarian aid to southern Lebanon, must under no circumstances be targeted," the Elysee said. Hezbollah denied involvement in the attack that killed the French peacekeeper. The fighting in Lebanon has seen UNIFIL positions repeatedly targeted by Israeli and Hezbollah forces. — AFP
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