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.
Netanyahu confirmed that Israel would - at Washington's request - give diplomacy a chance © Mena Today
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.
Syria's General Authority for Land and Sea Ports and Customs said Tuesday that customs officers had thwarted an attempt to smuggle more than 200 hand grenades hidden inside a vehicle attempting to cross the border toward Lebanon.
Turkey's opposition leader, Ozgur Ozel, said on Tuesday he will resign from the main opposition party and form a new one, amid a nearly two-year long legal crackdown on President Tayyip Erdogan's political opponents.
Lebanese army troops began deploying in the southern Lebanese town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh on Tuesday after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, a senior Lebanese security official said, in line with a U.S.-brokered plan.
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