Israeli Occupation Army Minister Confirms: We Will Not Stop Attacks in Lebanon

SadaNews - Four people were martyred early Saturday in an Israeli airstrike on the town of Kfar Rumman in southern Lebanon, while Israeli Occupation Army Minister Israel Katz confirmed that Israel will not cease its attacks in Lebanon.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that four people were killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting their vehicle in the town of Kfar Rumman in the district of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, which also injured three other citizens.

The airstrike came hours after U.S. envoy Tom Barak urged Lebanon on Saturday to engage in direct negotiations with Israel in order to ease tensions between the two countries.

The official National News Agency reported that "an Israeli drone carried out an airstrike around 10:20 PM (20:20 GMT) on Saturday, targeting an SUV" on a road at the eastern outskirts of the town of Kfar Rumman in the south of the country.

Earlier on Saturday, a Lebanese citizen was injured after an airstrike targeted his vehicle in the town of Kfar Sieer in southern Lebanon, and an Israeli drone had also dropped a sound bomb earlier in the day on the beach of the Ras al-Naqoura area in southern Lebanon.

Israel has ramped up its attacks on Lebanon in recent weeks, allegedly conducting assassinations of Hezbollah members and carrying out explosive strikes in eastern and southern regions of the country. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, its airstrikes in October resulted in the deaths of 26 people.

Israel has not adhered to the terms of the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, which began implementation on November 27, 2024, and its forces continue to conduct demolition and explosive operations, carrying out airstrikes almost daily in southern Lebanon. Its forces also remain present at five positions in southern Lebanon.

The U.S. envoy told reporters on the sidelines of the "Manama Dialogue" organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Bahrain that "the dialogue must be with Israel. It must only be with Israel, and Israel is ready," but Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Israel on Friday of responding to his country's calls for negotiations by intensifying its airstrikes.

In this regard, Occupation Army Minister Israel Katz reaffirmed that Israel will not halt its attacks in Lebanon and will not withdraw from the security belt, claiming that Israel has achieved tranquility in the Galilee that it has not experienced in 20 years.

Katz stated that he informed U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus that if any Israeli town is fired upon, they will strike back in Beirut. He added that the United States is exerting pressure on the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah, and that Israel is giving that a chance, according to him.