'Freedom of action' - Netanyahu says Israel striking Lebanon despite ceasefire as Hezbollah drones, rockets still pose threat

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel retained 'freedom of action' to strike 'immediate and emerging threats' in Lebanon, at a press conference at Ramat David Airbase on Monday. "We are striking as we are now, both in the buffer zone, north of the buffer zone, and also north of the Litani. Our freedom of action is to thwart threats, immediate threats, and emerging threats," Netanyahu stated. “There are still two main threats from Lebanon from Hezbollah: the 122mm rocket threat and the UAV drone threat,” he added. He said Hezbollah had been significantly weakened but not eliminated, claiming the militant group retained roughly 10% of its pre-war missile arsenal. “We are in effect on the way to disarming Hezbollah,” Netanyahu claimed. He added that while progress had been made, 'the job is not finished'. Israel began ground and air operations in Lebanon on March 2 after Hezbollah launched strikes into Israel in retaliation for an attack in Iran that killed its supreme leader. The two sides agreed to a ceasefire on April 16, which was later extended by three weeks last Thursday. Israel's military operation in Lebanon has displaced over a million people, with 2,509 killed since the beginning of the fighting."

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