Beirut – February 2026 Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji delivered an unusually direct message to Hezbollah in a televised interview today, urging the Iran-backed group to avoid any new military escalation that could provoke Israeli retaliation.
“I hope that Hezbollah will refrain from entering a new adventure and spare Lebanon further destruction,” Rajji stated. He revealed that Lebanon has received explicit warnings that any Hezbollah involvement would lead Israel to target national infrastructure. “We are acting by all means to prevent this,” he added, emphasizing the government’s efforts to maintain the fragile ceasefire and protect the country from another devastating war.
The remarks come amid persistent low-level violations along the Blue Line, reports of Hezbollah rearmament north of the Litani River, and U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus’s recent ultimatum demanding the group surrender precision missiles and drones. Israeli officials have repeatedly stated they will not tolerate Hezbollah rebuilding offensive capabilities, while Lebanon’s army and government face intense domestic and international pressure to enforce UN Resolution 1701.
Rajji’s public plea is seen as a sign of growing alarm within the Lebanese state apparatus over the risk of Hezbollah dragging the country into another conflict with Israel.
