Israel boasts strikes on Lebanon have breached ceasefire 600 times

Army chief Lt Gen Eyal Zamir visits Israeli troops who have failed to withdraw from enemy territory

Israel's army chief Lt Gen Eyal Zamir lauded the killing of 240 people in strikes on Lebanon. Photo: Israeli military

Israeli air strikes on Lebanon have breached a ceasefire about 600 times, the head of Israel's army boasted on Thursday.

Lt Gen Eyal Zamir visited Israeli troops still operating in Lebanon, where he said about 240 "terrorists" had been killed in strikes that regularly pound the south – and sometimes Beirut – despite the truce with Hezbollah last year.

The November ceasefire also called for Israel to withdraw troops from Lebanon but its army maintains five positions in the south.

"We are in a multi-arena war, adapting concepts to the threats," said Lt Gen Zamir in remarks published by Israel's military. "We are in all the arenas – launching strikes, all on our own initiative.

"The achievements are unprecedented – since the ceasefire understandings, over 240 terrorists have been eliminated and approximately 600 air strikes carried out."

He said Israel's operations in Lebanon had created a "new security and physical reality" that later enabled strikes on Iran during a 12-day war in June. Hezbollah did not intervene in that conflict.

Israel has repeatedly attacked Lebanon with air strikes despite the ceasefire agreed with Hezbollah last year. EPA

Israel's war in Lebanon killed thousands of people, left behind an estimated $11 billion of damage and left Hezbollah reeling from the deaths of senior figures, including leader Hassan Nasrallah.

After the ceasefire deal was struck, a new Lebanese government took office, which is now pushing ahead with plans to disarm Hezbollah and bring all weapons under state control. Under the proposals, Lebanon's armed forces are to draw up plans this month to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year. Hezbollah rejects the proposals as bowing to Israeli and US pressure.

Lt Gen Zamir's visit to Lebanon came hours after he approved the "main framework" for Israel's expanded war in Gaza. The general has done little to dispel rumours that he opposed the new offensive behind the scenes and that his objections were overruled by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet.

His visit came on the day that Iran's new security council chief Ali Larijani visited Beirut to warn against disarming Hezbollah. He was told, though, by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun that Lebanon "does not accept anyone interfering in its internal affairs" and regards Tehran's comments on the matter as unhelpful.