By Abiola Olawale
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has announced what he called a momentous victory for Israel, asserting that the nation has effectively defeated Hezbollah.
Katz highlighted the recent elimination of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, as a pivotal achievement in Israel’s ongoing security initiatives.
Katz, during his address at a formal ceremony held at Israel’s foreign ministry, said it is time for the country to maintain enduring pressure on Hezbollah to ensure that the gains from its victory result in lasting security for the nation.
He emphasised that Israel has no interest in intervening in Lebanon’s internal politics, acknowledging that Israel has learned lessons from past experiences.
The defence minister, however, expressed optimism that the international community would seize the opportunity to pursue a political resolution, encouraging Lebanon to join other nations in normalising relations with Israel.
“Now it is our job to continue to put pressure to bring about the fruits of that victory,” Katz said.
It would also be recalled that the Israeli military recently announced the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, leader of a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party, Hezbollah.
The Israeli military claimed it killed Hezbollah’s leader in an air attack on Lebanon’s capital, Beirut.
The death of Nasrallah has sent shock waves throughout Lebanon and the Middle East, where he has been a dominant political and military figure for more than three decades.
It would also be recalled that a Hamas leader, Commander Saeed Attallah Ali, his wife and their two daughters were killed in another separate Israeli strike on northern Lebanon in October 2024.
