Israeli officials delivered a sharp warning to Beirut, saying the Lebanese government has failed to act against Hezbollah since the ceasefire began two weeks ago, according to a report aired on Makor Rishon.

Sources said there have been no arrests or efforts to stop attacks or rocket fire targeting Israeli forces.

“There were no arrests, there were no attempts to prevent attacks on soldiers, and there was no attempt to prevent shooting,” one source told i24NEWS, underscoring Israel’s frustration with what it sees as total inaction.

At the same time, diplomatic contacts between Israel and Lebanon have intensified. In a notable development, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamada Meoud met face-to-face for the first time, with one of their recent meetings partially facilitated by President Trump. Washington and Jerusalem are pressing Lebanon to begin acting against the terrorist organization alongside the extended ceasefire.

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz conveyed a stern message to the UN envoy in talks Monday, warning that Lebanon’s leadership is risking the country’s future. “There will be no reality of a ceasefire in Lebanon along with firing on our forces and the settlements of the Galilee,” Katz said, adding that continued inaction would lead to severe consequences.

Katz stressed that Hezbollah must first be disarmed south of the Litani River and ultimately across all of Lebanon.

In Beirut, Lebanon’s top leadership convened a high-level meeting, bringing together President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. The stated goal was “to pave the way for decisive decisions regarding the path of negotiations with the United States.”

Aoun, speaking Monday, criticized the ongoing conflict, saying: “Until when will the people of southern Lebanon pay the price of others’ wars on our country? If this were a war on Lebanon, we would support it, but this is a war for the interests of others, and therefore I completely oppose it.”

He emphasized that Lebanon had made clear to Washington that a ceasefire must precede further negotiations and pushed back against domestic criticism. “Some people say that they are criticizing us for deciding to turn to negotiations without overwhelming support in Lebanon, and I ask: When you turned to war, did you receive overwhelming consent beforehand?” Aoun said. “What we are doing is not treason – the one who betrays is the one who drags his country into war for external interests. My goal is to end the war with Israel.”

Meanwhile, Israeli forces on the ground are facing an escalating drone threat. Roughly ten drones were launched toward IDF troops in southern Lebanon over the past day, part of a broader pattern of dozens of drone attacks weekly across different sectors.

A senior officer described the development as unexpected, saying: “This is a bit of a surprise.” According to defense officials, Israel was slow to adapt, with countermeasures only being developed after operations were already underway.

“The explosive drones are a bit of a surprise on the battlefield. We were not prepared well enough for this threat – and only at the beginning of the campaign did we establish exercises to deal with the drones,” a senior defense official acknowledged.

Katz reiterated Israel’s position during his meeting with UN envoy Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, warning both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government of the consequences of continued aggression. “Naim Kassem is playing with fire, and Aon is gambling on the future of Lebanon,” he said.

He added that Israel has instructed the IDF “to respond forcefully to Hezbollah for every violation and harm, and every threat to our forces and the Israeli settlements.”

Doubling down on the warning, Katz said: “Naim Qassem is playing with fire, and the fire will burn Hezbollah and all of Lebanon, just like in the parable of the Hatred.” He continued: “If the Lebanese government continues to shelter under the shadow of the terrorist organization Hezbollah, a fire will break out and burn the cedars of Lebanon