Netanyahu Orders Full Destruction of Hezbollah Infrastructure

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while visiting troops, has ordered the complete destruction of the infrastructure of the Iran-backed Shiite militant group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The order includes eliminating all surface and underground facilities used by the group for attacks on Israel, including tunnels.

Netanyahu emphasized that soldiers must act immediately in response to threats and rejected the possibility of withdrawing the army until Hezbollah is fully disarmed and no longer poses a threat to Israel. He called Hezbollah the most important link in Iran's axis of allies.

According to Netanyahu, the group once had 150,000 rockets and shells, of which only about 8% remain. He also stated that Israel has killed approximately 9,000 terrorists in Lebanon. The key measure was establishing a buffer and security zone between Hezbollah and northern Israel.

The Lebanese government and Hezbollah consider the unilaterally declared "security zone" in southern Lebanon an occupation and a violation of international law. According to Lebanese media estimates, the zone covers about 620 square kilometers, or roughly 6% of Lebanon's territory.