Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Friday that Israel had not yet completed its campaign against Hezbollah. He made the statement just hours after a 10-day ceasefire with Lebanon came into force.
Netanyahu addressed the Israeli public and stressed that significant progress had occurred. However, he insisted further action remained necessary to neutralise remaining threats.
Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had removed the immediate threat of infiltration and anti-tank missiles from Hezbollah. He added that Israeli forces had eliminated roughly 90 percent of the group’s rocket arsenal since October 2023.
“Today’s Hezbollah is a shadow of its former self compared to the heyday of Hassan Nasrallah,” Netanyahu stated. He referred to the Hezbollah leader assassinated by Israel in 2024.
Meanwhile Netanyahu made clear the mission was incomplete. “But we haven’t yet finished the job,” he said. “There are things we plan to do to address the remaining rocket threat and the drone threat.”
Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to press ahead with the dismantling of Hezbollah. He described the process as one that would require sustained effort, patience and careful diplomatic steps.
The Israeli leader framed the temporary ceasefire as an opportunity. He noted that it allowed space for negotiations with the Lebanese government while Israel maintained pressure on the militant group.
Netanyahu repeated that full disarmament of Hezbollah and a sustainable peace agreement formed Israel’s core demands in any long-term arrangement.
The ceasefire took effect at midnight local time after intense fighting in southern Lebanon. Israeli officials reported strikes on hundreds of Hezbollah targets in the days leading up to the truce.
Benjamin Netanyahu spoke amid ongoing diplomatic efforts backed by US President Donald Trump. He indicated that Israel would combine military readiness with talks to achieve its security goals.
