Khaberni - Israeli Minister of War, Yisrael Katz, said on Wednesday that disarming Hezbollah before the end of the year is "unachievable," warning that Israel will resort to force in Lebanon if this pledge is not fulfilled.
Katz's statements came during a closed session of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in the Knesset, excerpts of which were broadcast by the Israeli Channel 7.
He added, "I do not think that Hezbollah will voluntarily give up its weapons (…) and if that does not happen, there will be no escape from using force again in Lebanon."
Katz noted that the American administration has set the end of the year as the deadline for disarming the party, saying he "sees no practical indications" of achieving this on the ground.
This comes days after Israel assassinated a leading figure in Hezbollah, Haitham al-Tabtabai, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, in an operation Tel Aviv said was part of its efforts "to prevent the party from rebuilding its capabilities."
The Lebanese government had approved a plan to limit arms to the state and tasked the army with its implementation, but Beirut blamed Israel for obstructing the deployment of its forces in the south due to repeated raids and violations.
