Israel says to use 'full force' in Lebanon despite truce if soldiers face threat

Defence Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that the military had been instructed to use “full force” in Lebanon — even during the ongoing ceasefire — should Israeli troops face any threat. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have instructed the IDF to act with full force, both on the ground and from the air, including during the ceasefire, in order to protect our soldiers in Lebanon from any threat,” Katz said at a function in the occupied West Bank. He said that the military had also been ordered “to remove the houses in the (frontline) villages near the border that served in every respect as Hezbollah terror outposts and threatened Israeli communities,” Katz added. Read More: Israeli army launches new incursion into Syria’s Quneitra Uncertainty of ceasefire People uprooted by the war in Lebanon began returning to devastated towns and neighbourhoods on Friday, with many finding their homes destroyed or uninhabitable and hesitant to stay for fear a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel could unravel. US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States had banned Israel from further bombing in Lebanon, a day after he announced the 10-day ceasefire. The agreement between Lebanon and Israel has added to optimism that the parallel war between the United States and Iran could be nearing an end. While Trump says Lebanon and Israel will work towards a longer-term deal, the ceasefire leaves big questions. Notably, it does not demand Israel withdraw soldiers occupying parts of the south, where Israel's defence minister said Israeli troops would continue to demolish homes he claimed were being used by Hezbollah. Iran-backed Hezbollah, which operates independently of the Lebanese state, has said it maintains "the right to resist".