Lebanon campaign may resume after 10-day truce, Israel warns

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Israel’s defence minister said on Friday that the campaign against the militant group Hezbollah was not yet complete, just hours after a 10-day ceasefire came into force in Lebanon.

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He also warned that if the fighting resumed, displaced residents returning to the country’s war-torn south would have to evacuate again.

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“The ground manoeuver into Lebanon and the strikes on Hezbollah have achieved many gains, but they are still not complete,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a broadcast statement.

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There remained areas of the south that had not yet been cleared of Hezbollah militants, which would have to happen one way or another, he added.

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“The area between the security zone and the Litani (River) line, which is currently under our control, has not yet been cleared of terrorists and weapons,” Katz warned.

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“This will have to be carried out either through diplomatic means or by continued IDF activity once the ceasefire ends.”

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As the truce took effect at midnight (2100 GMT), thousands of displaced Lebanese civilians began heading south, hoping to return to their homes.

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But Katz said a fresh bout of fighting could force them to leave again.

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“If the fighting resumes, those residents who return to the security zone will have to be evacuated to allow completion of the mission,” he said.

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According to details of the truce released by the US State Department, Israel reserves the right to continue targeting Hezbollah to prevent “planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks”.

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Israel, whose troops are occupying parts of southern Lebanon, has also said it will maintain a 10-kilometre (six-mile) security zone it has established along the border.

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“The security zone has been cleared of militants and weapons, is empty of residents, and will continue to be cleared of terrorist infrastructure, including the destruction of homes in front-line villages that have effectively become terrorist outposts,” Katz said.

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The details of the truce also stipulate that Lebanon “with international support… will take meaningful steps to prevent Hezbollah” from undertaking any attacks against Israeli targets.

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AFP

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