Israel targets Hezbollah’s war machine while UN warns Lebanon to stop shielding Iran-backed Arab terrorists.
A United Nations Security Council delegation visiting Beirut on Saturday urged all parties to fully uphold the November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, insisting that Lebanon must finally enforce a state monopoly over weapons — a direct challenge to Hezbollah’s Iran-backed military empire.
The appeal comes as Israel continues striking Hezbollah positions despite the formal truce, a necessity driven by the terrorist group’s relentless efforts to rebuild military infrastructure and maintain armed squads along Israel’s northern border. Jerusalem has repeatedly stressed that Hezbollah’s activities are blatant ceasefire violations and an existential threat to Israeli civilians.
In the latest precision operation, Israel eliminated Hezbollah’s Chief of Staff, Haytham Ali Tabtabai, in a targeted strike in Beirut — removing one of the group’s top operational commanders. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem responded with predictable belligerence, claiming the terror group “has the right to respond,” further underscoring the instability Hezbollah injects into Lebanon and the wider region.
Slovenian UN ambassador Samuel Zbogar, representing the Security Council’s rotating presidency, said the delegation arrived “at a pivotal moment,” emphasizing that all sides must adhere to the truce and praising Lebanon for what he described as “progress” in recent months. He reaffirmed the Council’s backing for Lebanon’s territorial integrity — while also stressing the urgent need to fully implement UN Resolution 1701, the 2006 framework mandating Hezbollah’s disarmament and removal from the border region.
Facing heavy pressure from Washington and international fears of wider Israeli retaliation, Lebanon’s government has pledged — once again — to begin dismantling Hezbollah’s border-region infrastructure by year’s end. Lebanese officials claim the army will then expand operations into other Hezbollah strongholds.
But Hezbollah’s leadership has openly rejected the state’s authority. Qassem has vowed the terror group will never hand over its weapons, directly defying both Lebanon’s government and the international community, and leaving Israel to shoulder the burden of neutralizing the organization’s escalating military threat.
