'IDF will stay in Lebanon until Hezbollah is dismantled'

Anywhere Hezbollah rebuilds, they will meet the Israeli army,” warns Brig.-Gen. Amir Avivi

Lidar Grave-Lazi, ILTV|Updated:
Israel is not relying on anyone but itself to ensure Hezbollah does not rebuild in Lebanon, according to Brig.-Gen. Amir Avivi, founder and chairman of HaBithonistim.
LEBANON CEASEFIRE
“Israel is not counting on anybody; Israel is counting on Israel,” he told ILTV on Tuesday when asked whether Israel would withdraw from Lebanon as the end of the 60-day ceasefire approaches. “Anything that is not Israel will be a bonus. So, if we manage to deploy the Lebanese army, that's a bonus. If they manage to dismantle the positions of Hezbollah, that's a bonus. But more than 40 Hezbollah terrorists have been killed by Israel since the beginning of the ceasefire because they were trying to rebuild themselves. And this is not going to change—not only in south Lebanon, but all over Lebanon.”
Avivi emphasized that Hezbollah will face consequences wherever it attempts to rebuild. “Anywhere Hezbollah will try to rebuild itself, they will meet the Israeli army, and there will be retaliation,” he said.
While the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah appears to be extending, Israel has not committed to removing its troops from Lebanon until Lebanon fulfills its obligations under the deal. Avivi clarified that the timeline is less important than the agreement's implementation.
“If the Lebanese army doesn't deploy fully, if they don't dismantle Hezbollah in south Lebanon, if they don't push Hezbollah out of south Lebanon, the IDF is going to stay in its positions and secure the citizens of Israel,” Avivi stressed. “I think we learned that lesson from the seventh of October. We're not going to agree to timetables. We want to see results on the ground. And this is the responsibility of the state of Lebanon. This is the responsibility of the Lebanese army to do what was agreed upon—to dismantle Hezbollah, to push it out of south Lebanon, and to fully deploy the Lebanese army in a way that will create stability and security in Lebanon.”
First published: 05:16, 01.08.25
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