Israel on Sunday threatened to intensify its attacks in Lebanon against Hezbollah, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused of trying to "rearm", urging Beirut to honor its commitments to disarm it.

Despite a ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024 with the pro-Iranian Shiite group, Israel continues to conduct regular attacks targeting Hezbollah in its Lebanese strongholds and to occupy five border crossings in southern Lebanon. In its latest strikes, the Israeli army killed four people there on Saturday, whom it described as members of an elite Hezbollah force.

"The Lebanese government's commitment to disarm Hezbollah and drive it out of southern Lebanon must be fully honored," Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement, adding that the group is "playing with fire" and that "the Lebanese president is dragging his feet."

"The strict application of the measures will continue and will be strengthened. We will not tolerate any threats against the inhabitants of northern Israel," he added.

Benjamin Netanyahu then stated that Hezbollah was attempting to "rearm" itself, as he opened the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday.

"We expect the Lebanese government to do what it has pledged to do, which is to disarm Hezbollah, but it is clear that we will exercise our right to self-defense as agreed in the terms of the ceasefire," he warned.

"We will not allow Lebanon to become a new front against us and we will act as necessary."

Thousands of Israelis living near the northern border with Lebanon had been forced to evacuate their homes for months after Hezbollah opened a front against Israel following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.

Rocket fire from the Lebanese movement sparked a conflict lasting more than a year, culminating in two months of open warfare with Israel, before a ceasefire was reached last year.

Hezbollah has been severely weakened by the war, including the assassination of its historic leader, Hassan Nasrallah, by an Israeli strike in September 2024 in Beirut, but it remains financially resilient and armed.

Since then, the United States has increased pressure on Lebanese authorities to disarm the group, a plan that Hezbollah and its allies oppose, citing in particular the continued Israeli presence on Lebanese territory.

Deadly raid and new strike

Israel has intensified its attacks against Hezbollah targets in recent days.

On Thursday, the Israeli army carried out a deadly raid in southern Lebanon, prompting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to order the army to confront such incursions.

Mr. Aoun had called for negotiations with Israel in mid-October, after the entry into force of a ceasefire in Gaza, sponsored by US President Donald Trump.

On Friday, he accused Israel of responding to his offer of dialogue by intensifying its attacks, before a new Israeli strike killed four people on Saturday in the southern district of Nabatiyeh.

The Lebanese National News Agency reported that the Israeli army had hit a car with a guided missile.

The Israeli army confirmed the strike, stating that it targeted a member of the Radwan Force, an elite Hezbollah unit.

"The terrorist was involved in arms transfers and attempts to rebuild Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon," the army said, adding that three other members of the group had also been killed.

"The activities of these terrorists constituted a threat to the State of Israel and its civilians, as well as a violation of the agreements between Israel and Lebanon," the army added.

US envoy Tom Barrack, for his part, urged Lebanon on Saturday to engage in direct talks with Israel, stating that if Beirut took the step, the United States could "pressure Israel to be reasonable".