Israel Warns Hezbollah Is 'Playing With Fire' — Urges Lebanon to Enforce Weapons Pledge as Tensions Rise

Israel issues stern warning as Hezbollah rebuilds

Israel’s defense minister has warned Beirut that Hezbollah appears to be re-arming and urged Lebanon to implement last year’s ceasefire terms and disarm the group in southern Lebanon. Speaking Sunday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Hezbollah was "playing with fire" and accused Lebanon’s president of "dragging his feet," calling on the Lebanese government to fulfill its commitment to remove Hezbollah’s weapons from the south.

Fox News Digital reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is weighing broader operations against the Iran-backed group after what Israeli officials describe as repeated violations of the truce. A senior IDF officer based on the northern border told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that Hezbollah remains armed and funded by Iran and is working to re-establish positions near the border.

"Hezbollah didn’t give up their heavy weapons. They’re still trained, still financed by Iran, and still trying to re-establish their positions. Our job is to make sure they don’t succeed," the officer said.

On Monday, the IDF said it had killed two Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon: Muhammad Ali Hadid, described as a senior member of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, in Nabatieh, and another operative in Ayta ash Shab who was reportedly observed collecting intelligence on Israeli positions. The IDF said those activities violated the understandings between Israel and Lebanon and pledged to continue operations to remove threats to Israeli communities in the north.

New Israeli security posture

The senior IDF officer described the operations as part of a more proactive Israeli security doctrine. "If somebody threatens us, we take control of the situation and make the threat go away," he said, adding that Israeli forces had pushed Hezbollah back to permit civilian returns and were now working to prevent Hezbollah’s recovery near the border.

The officer noted that the IDF’s 91st Division recently completed its largest exercise since the conflict began, testing defensive systems, coordination and rapid-response capabilities at sea, in the air and on land.

Regional dynamics and international reaction

Israeli media outlet Haaretz reported intelligence assessments that Hezbollah has been rebuilding its arsenal with Iranian assistance and that supply chains through Syria and Iraq have been partially restored despite previous disruptions to regional routes caused by fighting in Syria. U.S. officials have also expressed frustration with Beirut’s ability to curb the group; former U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack is quoted as describing Lebanon as a "failed state" because of a paralyzed government and economic strain.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi, reacting to Israeli strikes, urged European partners to pressure Israel to halt attacks and argued that "only a diplomatic solution, not a military one, can ensure stability and maintain calm in the south." He said the Lebanese government is "gradually moving forward with its decision to bring all weapons under state control," according to the National News Agency.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expressed "deep concerns," urging all parties to recommit to the cessation of hostilities and stressing the importance of extending state authority in accordance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.

Outlook

Israeli commanders say they will not allow Hezbollah to rearm unchecked. "We won’t wait for another Oct. 7," the senior officer said. "We’re vigilant, we’re rebuilding, and we’re ready. The quiet we have now depends on Hezbollah’s choices — not on our willingness to defend ourselves." The situation remains tense, with diplomatic efforts and military postures both shaping the immediate outlook along the Lebanon–Israel border.