Netanyahu Vows to Hit Hezbollah "Wherever Necessary" Amid Ceasefire Tensions

In a statement shared via his personal account on X, the Prime Minister emphasised the continued scale of the offensive, noting that the military is "continuing to strike Hezbollah with force, precision, and determination."

The remarks come as Israel intensifies its campaign to degrade the group's capabilities, with Netanyahu underscoring the motivation behind the ongoing air strikes. "Our message is clear: anyone who acts against Israeli civilians - we will strike them," he asserted, linking the military action directly to the protection of the public.

Maintaining a firm stance on the scope of the operation, the Prime Minister made it clear that geographical boundaries would not limit the air campaign. He stated that the military "will continue to hit Hezbollah wherever necessary," suggesting that the operations will remain expansive.

Netanyahu further clarified that the ultimate objective of the strikes is to ensure the safe return of displaced citizens to the border regions. He added that the offensive will persist "until we fully restore security to the residents of the north" of Israel.

However, Israel's continued operation in Lebanon has threatened the temporary ceasefire, with Iran accusing the US-Israel side of violating the agreement. In response to these developments, Tehran has threatened to leave the negotiation talks set to take place in Islamabad this weekend.

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who will lead Tehran's delegation for the talks in Pakistan, has accused the Israeli side of violating three key clauses of the "10-point proposal" on which the temporary ceasefire was initially agreed to kickstart further negotiations.

The three clauses that Ghalibaf accused the US and Israel of breaching include the violation of the ceasefire in Lebanon, the violation of Iranian airspace, and the denial of Iran's right to enrich uranium.

"The deep historical distrust we hold toward the United States stems from its repeated violations of all forms of commitments, a pattern that has regrettably been repeated once again," Ghalibaf said in a statement.

Listing the specific violations, Ghalibaf cited non-compliance with the first clause regarding the ceasefire in Lebanon--a commitment he noted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had explicitly declared as "an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon and other regions, effective immediately."

Ghalibaf further pointed to the "entry of an intruding drone into Iran airspace," which was destroyed in the city of Lar in Fars Province, as a clear violation of the clause prohibiting airspace breaches. He also highlighted the "denial of Iran's right to enrichment," which was included in the sixth clause of the framework.

The Parliament Speaker added that "bilateral ceasefire or negotiations are unreasonable" as the clauses have been violated before the negotiations could even begin.

On the other hand, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that the ceasefire in Lebanon was not included in the temporary agreement. "I insisted that the temporary ceasefire with Iran not include Hezbollah. And we continue to strike them forcefully," Netanyahu stated.

He further claimed that Israel dealt Hezbollah its greatest blow since the pager incidents, attacking "100 targets in 10 minutes, in places that Hezbollah was certain were immune."

Netanyahu expressed a firm determination to achieve Israel's objectives through negotiation or by "resuming the fighting." A primary objective for Tel Aviv remains prohibiting Iran from enriching uranium, which Israel believes will be used for nuclear weaponry.

"I want to make this clear: We still have goals to complete, and we will achieve them either by agreement or by resuming the fighting. We are prepared to return to combat at any moment required. Our finger is on the trigger," he warned.

The Prime Minister maintained that the ceasefire is not the end of the campaign but a "milestone on the path to achieving all goals."

Despite the friction, diplomatic engagement between the US and Iran is still scheduled for Islamabad this weekend. Both sides are intended to hold direct talks aimed at ending weeks of intense hostilities following the outbreak of war.

The upcoming meeting follows an immediate two-week ceasefire agreement reached after a period of heavy regional conflict. The US delegation will be led by Vice President JD Vance, while the Iranian delegation remains scheduled to be led by Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

- ANI