Huckabee Defends Israeli Strikes in Southern Lebanon After Hezbollah Violations

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee voiced support on Friday morning for IDF strikes in southern Lebanon, saying they were a response to repeated Hezbollah violations and to the killing of four Israeli soldiers.

In a post on X, Huckabee pushed back on French criticism of Israel’s actions. Quoting the French foreign minister’s call for Israel to stop striking Hezbollah, he wrote, “Does France get all its information from Hezbollah? Last night, four of Israel’s soldiers were killed. Israel strikes when it is attacked, these are the facts that Ambassador Yechiel Leiter brought. A ceasefire happens when Hezbollah stops firing and killing.”

Earlier, Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, said Israel remains committed to the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon and the United States, but will not stay silent in the face of Hezbollah attempts to harm it. “Israel remains committed to the ceasefire agreement reached with Lebanon and the United States. If Hezbollah does not violate the agreement, the ceasefire will be maintained,” Leiter wrote on X.

Leiter also warned that Israel will not allow harm to its security interests on the ground. “In any case, Israel reserves the right to respond to attacks against it and to thwart threats against its territory, citizens and soldiers,” he wrote.