Ruptly
"Defence Minister Israel Katz reiterated that the Israeli government's policy in Lebanon is to disarm Hezbollah through 'military and diplomatic means' regardless of its ongoing fighting with Iran during a televised address on Friday. "The houses in the villages adjacent to the border in Lebanon, which serve as Hezbollah outposts in every respect, will be destroyed in accordance with the Rafah and Khan Younis model in Gaza," he added. According to Katz, the security control over the Litani area would be maintained by the IDF (Israeli Defense Force), and the return of 600,000 residents of southern Lebanon would not be permitted until the north's security is guaranteed. "The IDF will continue to thwart Hezbollah leaders and operatives throughout Lebanon, in addition to the 1,000 terrorists who have already been eliminated since the beginning of the current campaign," he continued. The defence minister also stressed that the IDF will 'act forcefully' against the 'high-trajectory fire from Lebanon' toward Israeli cities and communities, vowing that 'Hezbollah will pay a heavy price.' Hezbollah announced a major escalation in its operations on Wednesday, launching strikes on Israeli military positions. The group said the attacks were in response to continued Israeli operations in southern Lebanon, including IDF airstrikes and the ongoing ground offensive. The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28. Tehran responded with strikes on Israel and US assets in the region, with the conflict now into its fifth week."
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