Israel threatens to escalate attacks if truce with Hezbollah collapses

JERUSALEM - Israel warned on Tuesday that it would expand its attacks and include targets linked to the Lebanese state if the fragile truce with Hezbollah collapses.

The warning followed Hezbollah's launch of two mortars at a disputed area along the Lebanese, Syrian, and Israeli border on Monday, accusing Israel of repeated ceasefire violations. In response, Israel carried out airstrikes on over 20 sites across Lebanon.

Speaking to military commanders at the northern border, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that any breach of the truce would trigger "a maximum response and zero tolerance".

"If we return to war, we will act with greater force, penetrate deeper, and, most importantly, there will no longer be an exemption for the state of Lebanon," Katz said.

During a cabinet meeting held in the northern Israeli city of Nahariya, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed the warning, stressing that Israel could resume full-scale fighting if the ceasefire fails.

"We are currently in a ceasefire, I emphasize -- a ceasefire, not the end of the war," Netanyahu said. "We are enforcing this ceasefire with an iron fist, responding to every violation -- whether minor or severe. We are committed to the ceasefire, but we will not tolerate any breaches from the other side."

The ceasefire, which took effect on Nov 27, aimed to halt the deadly cross-border violence between Hezbollah and Israel, which erupted on Oct 8, 2023.