Israeli defence minister says strikes underway in Lebanon are 'clear message' to Hezbollah

Jerusalem: Israel's ongoing military strikes in Lebanon send a "clear message" to Hezbollah, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday, accusing the Iran-backed Islamist group of seeking to rebuild its forces in violation of a ceasefire agreement.

The Israeli military said earlier on Tuesday it had begun striking targets belonging to Hezbollah's elite unit, the Radwan Force, in the Bekaa region of eastern Lebanon. The Lebanese health ministry said at least six people were injured in the Israeli strikes.

"The Israel Defence Forces' strikes currently underway in Lebanon are a clear message to the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which is plotting to rebuild raid capabilities against Israel through the Radwan Force," Katz said in a statement.

The strikes are also a message to the Lebanese government, which is responsible for upholding the ceasefire agreement, he added.

There was no immediate public response from Hezbollah or from the Lebanese government to the latest Israeli strikes.

Israel and Hezbollah reached a ceasefire deal in November ending more than a year of fighting that had spilled over from Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza.

The agreement calls for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon and says that all "unauthorized arms" and military infrastructure should be dismantled, starting with southern Lebanon.

However, Hezbollah says the agreement applies exclusively to southern Lebanon.