Netanyahu Vows to Prevent Hezbollah and Hamas from Rebuilding Capabilities
Israeli PM Netanyahu vowed to prevent Hezbollah and Hamas from rebuilding military capabilities, citing ceasefire violations, as Hamas delegations met mediators in Cairo to discuss truce breaches.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a ministerial meeting that Israel will continue to “do whatever is necessary” to prevent Lebanon’s Hezbollah from rebuilding what he described as its “threatening capabilities.” He added that Israel is taking the same approach in the Gaza Strip regarding Hamas.
According to Bloomberg, Netanyahu stated that since the approval of the ceasefire, Hamas “has not stopped violating it, and we are acting accordingly.”
Netanyahu also rejected the notion that Israel requires approval from any external party to thwart attacks directed at it.
Meanwhile, a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Sunday to discuss what the group describes as ongoing violations of the ceasefire agreement. On the same day.
A senior Egyptian security official and a Hamas source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the delegation travelled to Cairo to meet mediators as both Israel and Hamas continue to exchange accusations concerning violations of the ceasefire.
The Hamas source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the delegation will discuss the “ongoing breaches of the ceasefire agreement,” according to Asharq Al-Awsat.
Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have been mediating between Hamas and Israel, leading to the ceasefire that came into effect last month.
Earlier reports indicated that the delegation is expected to meet with officials from the mediating countries to discuss progressing toward the second phase of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan regarding Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Saturday via its official X platform that it had “eliminated” two Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon, accusing them of violating understandings reached between the two sides nearly a year after the ceasefire.
According to the IDF, Israeli forces targeted Kamel Reza Karnabsh in the Mayfadoun area, describing him as a “terrorist” involved in efforts to rebuild Hezbollah’s operational infrastructure. In a separate strike in the village of Houla, Israeli forces killed another operative identified as a local Hezbollah representative responsible for financial and military logistics, including the seizure of private assets to support militant activities.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health confirmed that an Israeli strike in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah killed one person and wounded 21 others on Saturday. Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) identified the victim as Karnabsh, consistent with the IDF’s statement. The NNA also reported that a grenade dropped by an Israeli drone in Shaqra injured five people, alongside several additional strikes targeting sites in the south and east.
The IDF said its operations aimed at “several Hezbollah launchers recently identified at military sites in southern Lebanon,” in addition to weapons storage facilities. Both sides continue to trade accusations over violations of the November 2024 ceasefire: Israel says Hezbollah is reconstructing its military infrastructure, while Lebanon accuses Israel of repeated airstrikes and maintaining military positions inside Lebanese territory.
Lebanese health officials report more than 330 deaths and 945 injuries since the ceasefire was declared. Tensions escalated sharply earlier in the week when an Israeli airstrike hit the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp near Sidon, killing 13 people, including two adolescent students — the deadliest single incident since the ceasefire began.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, in a televised Independence Day address on Friday, said Lebanon is prepared to negotiate a deal that would halt Israeli strikes and secure Israel’s withdrawal from five border hills still occupied since the end of last year’s major hostilities. He said Lebanese forces are ready to deploy to any positions vacated by Israel, proposing that a monitoring committee involving the U.S., France, Israel, Lebanon, and UNIFIL oversee implementation.
The United States continues to pressure Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah — a demand the group rejects. The latest exchanges mirror the devastating conflict that erupted in October 2023, which killed over 4,000 people in Lebanon, caused an estimated $11 billion in damage, and left 127 Israelis dead.
