In his first public interview since the recently brokered ceasefire in Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stern warning to Hezbollah, stating that any significant breach of the agreement would prompt a decisive military response.

“I instructed the army to prepare for an intensive war in the event of a massive violation of the agreement," he said in an interview with Israel's Channel 14. "I didn't say the war is over; it's just a ceasefire that could be brief."

Netanyahu emphasized that the ceasefire, while currently in effect, could be short-lived if Hezbollah fails to adhere to its terms.

“We enforced it on its first day,” he noted.

No Buffer Zone, But Infrastructure Destroyed

When asked about Israel's decision not to establish a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, Netanyahu explained that the immediate threat of a ground invasion has been eliminated.

“The threat of a ground invasion has been removed,” he said, citing the Israeli army's recent operations that targeted and destroyed Hezbollah’s aboveground infrastructure along the border, as well as its underground bunkers and tunnel networks.

Netanyahu assured northern residents displaced by the conflict that they would return “in stages, when they feel that what I’m saying is correct.”

On Iran’s Nuclear Threat

Shifting focus to Iran, Netanyahu addressed concerns about Tehran’s nuclear ambitions but refrained from making absolute assurances.

“I will do everything so that Iran won’t be nuclear,” he said, underscoring the gravity of the threat posed by Iran’s program.