Israel is honoring ceasefire, but Hezbollah must be “destroyed,” ambassador says

Countering claims from Hezbollah that the ceasefire has been broken by Israel, Yechiel (Michael) Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., said on X that Israel has not carried out any strikes since 11:30 a.m. local time.

“Israel remains firmly committed to an immediate ceasefire,” Leiter wrote. “At 11:30 this morning, Israel halted all offensive operations; Hezbollah and Iranian claims to the contrary are bold lies.

“If Hezbollah honors the agreement and ceases its hostilities, they will be met with quiet.”

However, Leiter still said Hezbollah must be eliminated from Lebanon in order for the country to “prosper and enjoy democratic freedoms.”

“This will only happen when Hezbollah, a murderous Iranian proxy, is destroyed,” Leiter said. “The end of Hezbollah will mark the beginning of a beautiful peace between our two countries.”

While the strikes have ended, Israel has no plans to leave the security zone it established in southern Lebanon, Leiter said. Hezbollah has said Israel must exit Lebanese territory entirely or it will consider it a violation of the memorandum of understanding.