epa11753200 Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike near the south Lebanon village of Meiss El-Jabal, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, 02 December 2024. A 60-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah came into force on 27 November. EPA-EFE/ATEF SAFADI The Israeli military said earlier on Tuesday it had begun striking targets belonging to Hezbollah's elite unit, the Radwan Force, in the Bekaa region of eastern Lebanon. The Lebanese health ministry said at least six people were injured in the Israeli strikes.
"The Israel Defence Forces' strikes currently underway in Lebanon are a clear message to the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which is plotting to rebuild raid capabilities against Israel through the Radwan Force," Katz said in a statement.
The strikes are also a message to the Lebanese government, which is responsible for upholding the ceasefire agreement, he added.
There was no immediate public response from Hezbollah or from the Lebanese government to the latest Israeli strikes.
Israel and Hezbollah reached a ceasefire deal in November ending more than a year of fighting that had spilled over from Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza.
The agreement calls for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon and says that all "unauthorized arms" and military infrastructure should be dismantled, starting with southern Lebanon.
However, Hezbollah says the agreement applies exclusively to southern Lebanon.
(Reporting by Steven Scheer; Writing by Ahmed Elimam and Nayera Abdallah; Editing by Alison Williams and Gareth Jones)