Netanyahu says Hezbollah must be disarmed, Israel will 'enforce' ceasefire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel would do what it has to in order to "enforce" the ceasefire with Lebanon.

"Hezbollah must be disarmed. And Israel would prefer that the Lebanese army do that job, but no one should doubt that Israel will do what it has to do to enforce the understandings of the ceasefire and defend our security," Netanyahu said.

On Thursday, a senior Israeli security official said the military was prepared to withdraw from Lebanese territory "within the timeline" set by the U.S.-French-mediated ceasefire agreement.

That day, Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, said the United States had informed him that, while Israel would withdraw on February 18, "it will remain in five locations."

Lebanese officials have rejected the demand.

Hezbollah was left weakened by the latest war with Israel, which saw a slew of senior commanders and even its longtime chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah killed in Israeli strikes.