National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stated Saturday night that the emerging ceasefire with Lebanon is a historic mistake that grants Hezbollah a lifeline to rebuild, asserting the Lebanese army will never disarm the terror group and calling for a decisive military victory instead.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir escalated his opposition to the emerging ceasefire with Lebanon on Saturday evening, publishing a lengthy statement that labels the agreement a 'historic mistake' and a 'lifeline' for Hezbollah. The statement expands on his earlier remarks from 21:07 Jerusalem (the desk's first report), in which he called the deal a 'big mistake' and argued that only the IDF can disarm Hezbollah. By 21:43 Jerusalem, Ben-Gvir's position had sharpened to a detailed critique asserting that any reliance on the Lebanese army to disarm the terror group is a 'dangerous illusion' that repeats the failures of UN Resolution 1701 from 2006. The minister, who sits in the security cabinet, said he has opposed the agreement in cabinet meetings for weeks and vowed to continue fighting it, positioning the choice between a ceasefire that allows Hezbollah to recover and a full military decision that would remove the threat from northern residents for years.
The thread shows Ben-Gvir's opposition evolving over the course of Saturday evening. The first dispatch (version 1, 21:07) reported his initial framing of the deal as a 'big mistake' and his request for a cabinet vote. An update later that same minute (version 2, 21:07) added his argument that only the IDF can disarm Hezbollah, as the Lebanese army is untrustworthy. The current draft (21:07 or later) presents a more expansive statement, incorporating the stronger 'historic mistake' label and the detailed critique of the Lebanese army's role. In the wider context, as The Zioneer reported earlier on Saturday (17:07 Jerusalem), Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem had already rejected the emerging framework deal as 'humiliating,' calling it a 'grave sin' and vowing to block it. Additionally, on Friday (21:53 Jerusalem), Hezbollah formally demanded the scrapping of the deal, warning it would lead to 'the destruction of the state.'
As The Zioneer reported on Friday (10:15 Jerusalem), Ben-Gvir had already called to 'exploit events to collapse the Lebanon agreement' and target hundreds of Hezbollah sites, according to N12's Yaron Avraham. This background positions Ben-Gvir's Saturday statements as part of a sustained push against the agreement. The evolving stance has also been contextualized by journalistic analysis: on Friday (22:08 Jerusalem), journalist Almog Boker argued that Hezbollah's rejection of the framework deal signals a strategic gain for Israel, suggesting that the terror group's opposition may undercut its own position. Meanwhile, on Saturday (20:55 Jerusalem), The Zioneer reported that Hezbollah supporters clashed with security forces in Beirut as Qassem declared the deal 'void.'
What remains open: The specific content and terms of the emerging Lebanon agreement, including any firm text or timeline for implementation, have not been published. Hezbollah's public rejection (from both Qassem and the organization itself) and Ben-Gvir's opposition do not confirm whether the deal will proceed. No official Israeli or Lebanese government confirmation of a finalized framework has been reported at this hour.
3 developments
- DevelopingBen-Gvir calls to exploit events to collapse Lebanon agreement, target hundreds of Hezbollah sites
- DevelopingBen Gvir at Jerusalem market: 'The ceasefire in Lebanon cannot continue'
- StrongBen Gvir: Israel must not accept US-Iran ceasefire
- StrongNetanyahu sees Lebanon deal as major setback for Iran, pushes for broad coalition
Source and signal
- Internal intake