Israel Charges Lebanon Is ‘Dragging Feet’ On Disarming Hezbollah, Threatens ‘Deeper’ Escalation

Via The Cradle

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened further escalation against Lebanon on Sunday, accusing the country’s President Joseph Aoun of “dragging his feet” and delaying the disarmament of Hezbollah.

“Hezbollah is playing with fire and the President of Lebanon is dragging his feet,” Katz said in a social media post. “The Lebanese government’s commitment to disarm Hezbollah and remove it from southern Lebanon must be carried out.” He added: “The strictest enforcement will continue and will even deepen – we will not allow a threat to the residents of the north.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said during a cabinet session on Sunday that Tel Aviv “will not allow the Lebanon front to once again be a source of threat to Israel,” saying additionally “We will do what is necessary to prevent that.”

The latest threats came hours after an Israeli strike on south Lebanon’s Kfar Remman killed four people and injured several others. The Israeli army released a statement claiming the four were all members of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Unit – including one who it said was a logistics officer. 

“The terrorist facilitated the transfer of weapons and was involved in attempts to rehabilitate terrorist infrastructure of the Hezbollah terrorist organization…  Three other terrorists from the Radwan Force in the Hezbollah terrorist organization were eliminated in the attack,” it said. 

The four killed in Kfar Remman were identified in Lebanese media as Mohammad Jawad Mustafa Jaber, Abdallah Khalil, Hadi Hamid, Mohammad Kahil. The strike brings the toll of Lebanese people killed by Israel since the start of last month up to at least 34. 

One person was killed and others were injured in an Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese town of Kunin on October 31. A day earlier, an Israeli ground force stormed the Lebanese town of Blida and executed a municipal worker as he was asleep in Blida’s municipal building.

Following the attack, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun instructed army chief Rudolphe Haikal to have the Lebanese Army confront any Israeli incursion into the south “in defense of Lebanese land and the safety of citizens.” Israel has escalated its strikes on Lebanon significantly over the past few weeks. 

Some of the recent Israeli attacks have targeted reconstruction equipment, which Israel claims is used by Hezbollah to rebuild infrastructure. An Israeli official told Saudi outlet Al-Arabiya TV on Sunday that Tel Aviv “will not allow the reconstruction of the direct line of Lebanese villages along the northern border.” 

Israel claims it is legitimately enforcing the agreement by preventing the Lebanese resistance movement from rebuilding itself. However, it is prohibited from attacking Hezbollah members during the ceasefire, according to international law and the truce agreement itself. Several Israeli media reports from over the past week have said that Hezbollah has managed to rearm itself by refilling or repairing weapon stocks. 

US officials have publicly threatened Lebanon with a new war if the Lebanese resistance movement does not surrender its weapons immediately. According to Hebrew reports, Tel Aviv has informed Washington of plans to increase attacks against Lebanon.

In August, Beirut adopted a cabinet decision to fully disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year, following months of heavy pressure from the US. Hezbollah rejected the decision. The resistance said it would eventually be willing to discuss incorporating its arms into the Lebanese military as part of a defensive strategy that would keep the weapons available for use if Lebanon is attacked.

However, it refuses to discuss the matter while Israel continues to attack Lebanon and occupy several areas along the southern border. Hezbollah says the agreement only calls for its disarmament starting from the southern Litani River area toward the border. 

BREAKING | Israel has targeted a vehicle in Kfar Reman, south Lebanon, killing at least three people and severely injuring a fourth, according to preliminary local reports. pic.twitter.com/9nKThZKUJv

— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) November 1, 2025

However, Lebanese authorities say the deal calls for Hezbollah and other armed groups in Lebanon to be totally disarmed across the whole country. Beirut has vowed to achieve a state monopoly over weapons in Lebanon. As part of the truce, the Lebanese army deployed across south Lebanon and dismantled several Hezbollah sites south of the Litani River. Hezbollah has withdrawn to the north of the river with its heavy weapons, in line with the deal. 

The presence of Israeli troops inside Lebanon has hindered the Lebanese army’s implementation of the ceasefire. Lebanese troops have been attacked by Israeli forces and drones several times. Over 300 people have been killed by Israel since the ceasefire agreement was reached on November 27, 2024.