Defense Minister Israel Katz rejected the Iranian condition for stopping attacks against Israel and stated that the IDF will respond with a firm hand to any violation by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
“The fate of the Dahieh in Beirut is the same as the fate of the communities of the north. Any attack on northern communities will lead to an attack on the Dahieh. The IDF will continue operating in Lebanon against the Hezbollah terrorist organization.
We completely reject Iran’s threats. Any Iranian attempt to link Lebanon and Iran and attack Israel will be met with great force, as happened yesterday," Katz said.
The Khatam al-Anbiya Command, the body coordinating between the Iranian army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, earlier announced the end of its military operation against Israel, but at the same time issued a new threat, stating that continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon could lead to another Iranian response.
Shortly after the Iranian announcement, Israel struck targets in southern Lebanon. In response, Hezbollah fired missiles toward Kiryat Shmona and nearby communities, but the IDF reported that the three launches were intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory.
At the same time, a senior Israeli official said that at the request of U.S. President Donald Trump, Israel is currently halting its strikes in Iran.
However, according to the official, military operations in southern Lebanon will continue in the coming days “at full force," and Israel will continue to act in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district if attacks against Israeli communities continue.