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Israel sent an indirect warning to Lebanon threatening strikes on major infrastructure sites unless the government took action against Hezbollah, according to an Israeli official and a Lebanese source familiar with the matter.
The message was conveyed through Cyprus and demanded that the Lebanese government declare Hezbollah a terrorist organization and dissolve both its military and political wings, the Lebanese source said.
If those steps were not taken, Israel warned it would strike Lebanon’s airport, ports and other vital infrastructure, the source added.
CNN said it has reached out to Israel’s Foreign Ministry for comment.
On Monday morning, Lebanon’s government banned Hezbollah’s military and security activities, declaring them illegal, and called on the Iran-backed group to surrender its weapons.
The announcement came a day after Hezbollah launched an attack on Israel and marked what was described as a dramatic shift in state policy.
One week earlier, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi said the government had “received warnings indicating that any intervention on the part of Hezbollah could prompt Israel to strike infrastructure targets.”
The warning preceded joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Raggi said on social media that he hoped Hezbollah “refrains from embarking on any new adventures and spares Lebanon further destruction.”
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