The Jerusalem Post reported that Netanyahu met Tuesday with Morgan Ortagus, US President Donald Trump's envoy for Lebanon affairs, as border tensions with Lebanon intensify. Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Intelligence Chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder joined the meeting, which comes exactly one year after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that Israeli officials now say is rapidly eroding.
The message from Israeli officials has grown unambiguous in recent days. "If there is no dramatic change by the end of the agreement period, another round of fighting in the north is almost inevitable," a security official told The Jerusalem Post, reflecting what appears to be a hardening consensus within Netanyahu's government that diplomacy has run its course.
Senior Israeli officials have accused Lebanon's government and military of failing to take sufficient steps to disarm Hezbollah, warning that the Iran-backed group has used the ceasefire period to rebuild its capabilities. According to these officials, Hezbollah has grown its ranks and replenished its arsenal with missiles and rockets smuggled from Syria, effectively nullifying the military gains Israel achieved during last year's conflict.
Both Jerusalem and Washington have now circled December 31 as a critical deadline, after which Israel and the United States will reassess their options. The date marks not just an arbitrary endpoint but a moment when military action becomes increasingly likely if current trajectories continue.
Another security official made clear that Israel is not waiting passively. "There is already a prepared plan for every type of operation," the official stated, signaling that military preparations are well advanced.
Representatives from countries overseeing the ceasefire's implementation are scheduled to meet Wednesday in Naqoura. Ortagus is expected to attend before traveling to Beirut to deliver what officials describe as a direct message from senior Israeli leadership: "Either Hezbollah disarms, or Israel will be forced to act."
The ultimatum underscores growing Israeli and Western frustration over the pace—or lack thereof—of Hezbollah's disarmament. Recent weeks have seen increased reports of activity along the frontier and renewed debate over UNIFIL's effectiveness in monitoring the border region.
The ceasefire's first anniversary has sharpened international scrutiny of whether Beirut is genuinely enforcing its commitments to keep Hezbollah's weapons away from the border zone. For Netanyahu, however, the answer appears already settled. With Hezbollah openly rejecting disarmament and continuing to rearm, Israeli officials suggest the prime minister sees military confrontation not as one option among many, but as an approaching certainty.
Photo: Gemini AI