Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Lebanon will ban Hezbollah's military activities after Israel said it struck Hezbollah-linked sites in response to the group's missile and drone attacks following the reported killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
In a statement after a cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the state rejected any military actions launched from Lebanese territory "outside the framework of its legitimate institutions and affirmed that the decision of war and peace is exclusively in its hands".
This "necessitates the immediate prohibition of all Hezbollah’s security and military activities as being outside the law, and obliging it to hand over its weapons to the Lebanese state", he said.
IDF kills Hezbollah intelligence chief, parliamentary faction head
The IDF carried out a series of targeted strikes against senior Hezbollah terrorist in Beirut on Monday, the Israeli military said, as it continued to retaliate after Hezbollah launched several projectiles towards northern Israel overnight.
On Monday afternoon, it confirmed the assassination of Hezbollah intelligence chief Hussein Maklad.
According to the IDF, Meklad was responsible for creating an intelligence picture using various intelligence collection tools to provide the Hezbollah terrorist organization with assessments about the IDF troops and the State of Israel. He also collaborated closely with senior Hezbollah commanders who were involved in planning and executing terror attacks against Israel and its citizens.
Earlier on Monday, the head of Hezbollah's parliamentary faction, Mohammad Raad, was reportedly killed during IDF strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, Saudi news outlet Al-Hadath reported on Monday morning.
IDF Northern Command chief: Attacks on Hezbollah will continue
IDF Northern Command Chief Rafi Milo addressed the ongoing retaliation attack in a statement, saying that "Hezbollah chose the Iranian regime over the state of Lebanon and initiated an attack on our civilians. We were prepared - and they will pay a heavy price."
The statement reaffirmed the IDF's dedication to protecting Israeli northern residents, emphasizing that Israeli forces are deploying along the northern border and reassured residents that they will not have to be evacuated at this time.
"Shortly after Hezbollah’s rocket fire, in accordance with planning, we launched a first broad wave of strikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon, targeting senior operatives, headquarters, and terrorist infrastructure. We are also acting to evacuate civilians in southern Lebanon ahead of further strikes." stated Milo.