Rajji’s comments are seemingly at odds with the statements of his own government, which has claimed that Israel’s actions constitute a violation of a US-brokered ceasefire between the two countries, agreed in 2024.
For its part, Jerusalem insists that it has to maintain a military presence in Lebanon as the Lebanese Army has failed to deploy fast enough to replace displaced Hezbollah fighters, as stipulated under the truce.
Israel has also accused Beirut of dragging its heels on forcing the terror group to disarm, though the Lebanese armed forces reported last week that Hezbollah units south of the Litani had been disarmed in an “effective and tangible way”.
Israel welcomed the development as “encouraging”, but suggested that the Lebanese efforts are “far from sufficient”.
The Prime Minister’s Office said: “The ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States between Israel and Lebanon states clearly, Hezbollah must be fully disarmed.
“This is imperative for Israel’s security and Lebanon’s future.
"[These developments] are an encouraging beginning, but they are far from sufficient, as evidenced by Hezbollah’s efforts to rearm and rebuild its terror infrastructure with Iranian support.”
Rajji’s interview also saw him become a target for Hezbollah’s powerful political allies in Lebanon, with the Al Akhbar newspaper labelling him the “speaker of the enemy in the government”.
Urging President Joseph Aoun to punish Rajji, it added: “He did not hesitate to turn the Foreign Ministry into a mobile mouthpiece for distraction, using diplomatic hybrid language which addresses the other side using rhetoric and not political speech.
"There is no point in warning him, or directing his attention away, because the whole Foreign Ministry is no longer Lebanese in its rhetoric or role.”
