A shadow of itself, but still standing: Netanyahu on Hezbollah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a message to his nation on the first day of a ten-day truce with Lebanon: the war against Hezbollah is far from over.

In a video address, Netanyahu acknowledged that the Iran-backed militant group, which resumed hostilities on March 2, had been significantly weakened, but refused to declare victory.

"Hezbollah today is a shadow of itself... but I say it honestly: we have not yet finished the job," he said, adding that the goal of dismantling Hezbollah would "not be achieved tomorrow."

The Israeli leader outlined two threats that the military campaign had successfully pushed back: a "near threat" of terrorist infiltration and anti-tank missile fire on Israeli communities, and a "distant threat" of rockets and missiles aimed at Israeli cities.

Despite his tough rhetoric, Netanyahu confirmed that Israel would - at Washington's request - give diplomacy a chance, pursuing what he described as a "combined diplomatic and military solution" with the Lebanese government.