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Enforcing the Truce: ‘Our Actions Will Talk,’ Israeli Security Official Says
A view shows the moment of an Israeli strike on a building, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in the Chiyah district of Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon, Nov. 25, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
JNS.org – The Israel Defense Forces delivered a severe blow to Hezbollah during the recent conflict, significantly degrading the Iranian-backed Lebanese terrorist organization’s capabilities, and is determined to use force if it detects attempts to supply it with weapons, according to Israeli security officials.
An Israeli security official said on Wednesday that on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after the Hamas-led mass murder attack in the south, “it was Hezbollah that started a war against Israel.”
He emphasized the impact of the conflict on Israeli civilians, saying that Hezbollah fired more than 17,000 rockets, missiles and UAVs at Israel over the past year, targeting civilians, cities and towns, killing dozens of civilians and forcing 60,000 Israelis out of their homes in the north.
“Hezbollah made a mistake starting this war with Israel. [The group’s leader Hassan] Nasrallah made this mistake,” said the source.
The official detailed the achievements of the IDF: “Today, after almost 14 months, we have brought a major achievement that has brought a severe blow on Hezbollah, bringing Hezbollah dozens of years back. Hezbollah brought a disaster on Lebanon and tried to drag all the Middle East into a larger escalation.”
Highlighting the IDF’s current posture, the source said the Israeli military is currently positioned in Southern Lebanon, where it is patrolling the ground, while the Israeli Air Force conducts patrols over Lebanon to enforce the truce arrangement.
“We are ready for any development or any violation of Hezbollah. And there is a possibility for a new reality in Lebanon,” said the source.
He called on the Lebanese government to enforce the ceasefire, saying that it “should enforce it on all terror organizations. And this is what agreed. And by enforcing this agreement, this is the condition, I think, for the stability and also the prosperity of Lebanon as a country.”
The official stressed Israel’s commitment to preventing Hezbollah’s rearmament. He vowed that the military would respond to any intelligence of attempts to deliver arms into Lebanon for Hezbollah. “We will enforce it by fire. We will not let any arms be delivered to Hezbollah from the Syrian border or by any other method. And our actions will talk, not our words.”
The Israeli security official also addressed the mechanisms in place to prevent Hezbollah’s rearmament, saying, “We are monitoring the Middle East, we are monitoring Syria. We are monitoring the pathways. We are monitor not just the pathways, but any other way or method to deliver arms to Hezbollah.
“Of course, if we will see Hezbollah coming back or trying to build any capabilities …, we will prevent it. Of course, there is a mechanism in the agreement, but in the end the mechanism, if it won’t be enforced by others, it will be enforced by the IDF,” he added.
Addressing the initial phase of the truce, the official said this period will be crucial, and will see the IDF remain in positions in Southern Lebanon.
“If everything works in order and to plan, this is a gradual agreement. Our forces will leave Southern Lebanon after 60 days,” he explained. On the other hands, if the IDF sees armed terrorists trying to restore military facilities, it will act, he said.
“There won’t be any houses with missiles or rockets or arms. This is unacceptable,” the source clarified.
A different reality
On Wednesday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said, “The activity in Lebanon was very determined, and the enforcement of the ceasefire agreement will be even more determined. With determination, according to the guidelines approved yesterday by the minister of defense, the prime minister, and the Cabinet, Hezbollah operatives who approach our troops, the border area, and the villages within the area we have marked—will be hit.”
Halevi emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety of residents of northern Israel, saying that IDF ground troops will be the first to encounter terrorists returning to Southern Lebanese villages with “a warning, with fire, with capabilities and mostly with air support.”
The general highlighted the IDF’s preparedness to enforce the truce, adding that Israeli aircraft are continuously airborne while naval vessels are gathering information and also capable of striking targets. “Above all, we are preparing, getting ready for the possibility that this approach won’t succeed,” he cautioned.
“We are very, very determined to enforce the guidelines and bring about a completely different reality for the residents of the north,” said Halevi.
Hezbollah is no deterrence
Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, former head of the National Security Council, said that Iran’s position has deteriorated significantly, speaking during a call organized by the Jerusalem Press Club on Wednesday.
“Iran now is much weaker than a year ago,” Amidror said, adding that while Hezbollah in Lebanon is stronger than Hamas in Gaza, neither can function at this time as Iranian proxies capable of deterring Israel.
“That was the whole idea to build Hezbollah—to deter Israel. Hezbollah is no deterrence anymore. We know how to cope with it. We know what its weakness points are and we know how to continue to destroy it if there will be a need. They lost Hezbollah as an asset against Israel,” said Amidror.
He highlighted the impact of the war on Hezbollah’s leadership. “We succeeded in eliminating all its leadership from Nasrallah down three levels. No one answers the phone anymore. The whole leadership, which … led Hezbollah in the last 40 years, their leadership does not exist.”
Discussing the potential for Hezbollah’s rearmament, Amidror said that the more Hezbollah understands its weakness, the “more cautious Hezbollah will be to violate the agreement.”
He also warned of the consequences if the terrorist group attempts to rearm, saying, “The minute that Hezbollah feels that it is strong enough to violate the agreement, then it’s the end of the ceasefire. From my point of view, my advice will be it’s the end of the ceasefire.”
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Israel to Send Delegation to Qatar for Gaza Ceasefire Talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, Sept. 2, 2024. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via REUTERS
Israel has decided to send a delegation to Qatar for talks on a possible Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, an Israeli official said, reviving hopes of a breakthrough in negotiations to end the almost 21-month war.
Palestinian group Hamas said on Friday it had responded to a US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal in a “positive spirit,” a few days after US President Donald Trump said Israel had agreed “to the necessary conditions to finalize” a 60-day truce.
The Israeli negotiation delegation will fly to Qatar on Sunday, the Israeli official, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters.
But in a sign of the potential challenges still facing the two sides, a Palestinian official from a militant group allied with Hamas said concerns remained over humanitarian aid, passage through the Rafah crossing in southern Israel to Egypt and clarity over a timetable for Israeli troop withdrawals.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is due to meet Trump in Washington on Monday, has yet to comment on Trump’s announcement, and in their public statements Hamas and Israel remain far apart.
Netanyahu has repeatedly said Hamas must be disarmed, a position the terrorist group, which is thought to be holding 20 living hostages, has so far refused to discuss.
Israeli media said on Friday that Israel had received and was reviewing Hamas’ response to the ceasefire proposal.
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Tucker Carlson Says to Air Interview with President of Iran
Tucker Carlson speaks on July 18, 2024 during the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photo: Jasper Colt-USA TODAY via Reuters Connect
US conservative talk show host Tucker Carlson said in an online post on Saturday that he had conducted an interview with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, which would air in the next day or two.
Carlson said the interview was conducted remotely through a translator, and would be published as soon as it was edited, which “should be in a day or two.”
Carlson said he had stuck to simple questions in the interview, such as, “What is your goal? Do you seek war with the United States? Do you seek war with Israel?”
“There are all kinds of questions that I didn’t ask the president of Iran, particularly questions to which I knew I could get an not get an honest answer, such as, ‘was your nuclear program totally disabled by the bombing campaign by the US government a week and a half ago?’” he said.
Carlson also said he had made a third request in the past several months to interview Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will be visiting Washington next week for talks with US President Donald Trump.
Trump said on Friday he would discuss Iran with Netanyahu at the White House on Monday.
Trump said he believed Tehran’s nuclear program had been set back permanently by recent US strikes that followed Israel’s attacks on the country last month, although Iran could restart it at a different location.
Trump also said Iran had not agreed to inspections of its nuclear program or to give up enriching uranium. He said he would not allow Tehran to resume its nuclear program, adding that Iran did want to meet with him.
Pezeshkian said last month Iran does not intend to develop nuclear weapons but will pursue its right to nuclear energy and research.
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Hostage Families Reject Partial Gaza Seal, Demand Release of All Hostages
Demonstrators hold signs and pictures of hostages, as relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages kidnapped during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas protest demanding the release of all hostages in Tel Aviv, Israel, Feb. 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Itai Ron
i24 News – As Israeli leaders weigh the contours of a possible partial ceasefire deal with Hamas, the families of the 50 hostages still held in Gaza issued an impassioned public statement this weekend, condemning any agreement that would return only some of the abductees.
In a powerful message released Saturday, the Families Forum for the Return of Hostages denounced what they call the “beating system” and “cruel selection process,” which, they say, has left families trapped in unbearable uncertainty for 638 days—not knowing whether to hope for reunion or prepare for mourning.
The group warned that a phased or selective deal—rumored to be under discussion—would deepen their suffering and perpetuate injustice. Among the 50 hostages, 22 are believed to be alive, and 28 are presumed dead.
“Every family deserves answers and closure,” the Forum said. “Whether it is a return to embrace or a grave to mourn over—each is sacred.”
They accused the Israeli government of allowing political considerations to prevent a full agreement that could have brought all hostages—living and fallen—home long ago. “It is forbidden to conform to the dictates of Schindler-style lists,” the statement read, invoking a painful historical parallel.
“All of the abductees could have returned for rehabilitation or burial months ago, had the government chosen to act with courage.”
The call for a comprehensive deal comes just as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for high-stakes talks in Washington and as indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas are expected to resume in Doha within the next 24 hours, according to regional media reports.
Hamas, for its part, issued a statement Friday confirming its readiness to begin immediate negotiations on the implementation of a ceasefire and hostage release framework.
The Forum emphasized that every day in captivity poses a mortal risk to the living hostages, and for the deceased, a danger of being lost forever. “The horror of selection does not spare any of us,” the statement said. “Enough with the separation and categories that deepen the pain of the families.”
In a planned public address near Begin Gate in Tel Aviv, families are gathering Saturday evening to demand that the Israeli government accept a full-release deal—what they describe as the only “moral and Zionist” path forward.
“We will return. We will avenge,” the Forum concluded. “This is the time to complete the mission.”
As of now, the Israeli government has not formally responded to Hamas’s latest statement.
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