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Israel warns Hezbollah ‘playing with fire,’ presses Lebanon to act on weapons pledge
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As Hezbollah rebuilds its forces and Lebanon is accused of failing to enforce the ceasefire terms brokered last year, Israel’s defense minister has fired off a warning to Beirut.
On Sunday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said, «Hezbollah is playing with fire, and the president of Lebanon is dragging his feet,» he said. «The Lebanese government’s commitment to dismantle Hezbollah’s weapons and remove it from southern Lebanon must be realized. Enforcement will continue and deepen — we will not allow a threat to the residents of the north.»
His warning comes as Fox News Digital has learned that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is weighing broader operations against the Iran-backed terrorist group after repeated violations of the truce.
A senior IDF officer stationed on the northern border told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that Hezbollah remains fully armed and funded by Iran.
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Israeli soldiers take part in an IDF exercise to enhance operational readiness along the Lebanon border in Oct. 2025. (IDF)
«Hezbollah didn’t give up their heavy weapons,» the officer said. «They’re still trained, still financed by Iran, and still trying to re-establish their positions. Our job is to make sure they don’t succeed.»
On Monday, the IDF confirmed it had killed two Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon. Muhammad Ali Hadid, a senior member of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, was eliminated in Nabatieh, while another operative was struck in Ayta ash Shab after being seen collecting intelligence on Israeli positions.
«The terrorists’ activities violated the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,» the IDF said in a statement. «The IDF will continue to operate to remove any threat to the State of Israel.»
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir watch as the IDF carries out strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. (Ministry of Defense)
The senior officer said the operations reflect Israel’s new, proactive security doctrine. «If somebody threatens us, we take control of the situation and make the threat go away,» he said. «We pushed Hezbollah back, so civilians could return. Now we’re fortifying those gains and acting to prevent their recovery.»
That, he added, is the lesson Israel learned from Oct. 7. «Until then, we sometimes looked the other way. That’s over. We’re not sitting and waiting for the next rocket.»
A flag bearing the picture of assassinated pro-Iranian Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah flutters in front of a picture of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during a ceremony marking the first anniversary of Nasrallah’s assassination in an Israeli airstrike at his grave in Beirut. Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 27, 2025. (Marwan Naamani/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)
The officer said the IDF’s 91st Division recently completed its largest exercise since the start of the war, designed to strengthen operational readiness for both defense and offensive operations along the Lebanese border — at sea, in the air, and on land.
«We tested our defensive systems, coordination, and rapid-response capabilities,» he said. «We’re applying every lesson from Oct. 7 so our response next time will be immediate.»
Israeli soldiers take part in an IDF exercise to enhance operational readiness along the Lebanon border in Oct. 2025 (IDF)
According to Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, intelligence officials believe Hezbollah is rapidly rebuilding its arsenal with Iranian assistance. The group has partially restored its weapons supply chain through Syria and Iraq, despite disruptions following the collapse of the Assad regime last year.
The Trump administration has also expressed frustration over Beirut’s failure to curb Hezbollah. U.S. Special Envoy Thomas Barrack recently described Lebanon as «a failed state» because of its «paralyzed government,» and that Hezbollah pays its fighters more than the national army soldiers earns.
EXCLUSIVE: A LOOK AT HEZBOLLAH’S PLAN TO TERRORIZE AND INVADE NORTHERN ISRAEL
Commuters drive past a newly-installed billboard bearing the image of a Lebanese flag and a statement that reads in Arabic «Lebanon a new era», replacing a Hezbollah billboard, on the road leading to Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International airport on April 10, 2025. (Photo by Joseph Eid/AFP via Getty Images)
Responding to Israel’s preemptive strikes last week, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi urged his visiting German counterpart on Friday to «help pressure Israel to halt its attacks.»
«Only a diplomatic solution, not a military one, can ensure stability and maintain calm in the south,» Raggi said, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA).
He added that the Lebanese government «is gradually moving forward with its decision to bring all weapons under state control.»
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Thursday voiced «deep concerns», urging all parties «to fully commit to the cessation of hostilities.»
UNIFIL added that it remains in contact with the Lebanese Armed Forces and emphasized that extending state authority «is at the very core of Resolution 1701.»
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IDF troops fighting Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon. (IDF Spokesman’s Unit.)
Despite diplomatic criticism, Israeli commanders insist they will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild.
«We won’t wait for another Oct. 7,» the Israeli officer said. «We’re vigilant, we’re rebuilding, and we’re ready. The quiet we have now depends on Hezbollah’s choices — not on our willingness to defend ourselves.»
israel,lebanon,conflicts,terrorism
El recuerdo de Marcelo sobre el 7-1 contra Alemania sigue marcado, no solo para él, sino también para todo el fútbol brasileño, como uno de los recuerdos más dolorosos de su historia. Han pasado más de diez años desde aquella semifinal del Mundial de 2014 disputada en Belo Horizonte, pero para el exlateral izquierdo de la selección de Brasil y del Real Madrid, la herida de aquella noche permanece abierta.
El impacto de esa goleada trascendió lo deportivo y quedó grabado como una de las páginas más difíciles en la historia del fútbol mundial.
En 2014, Brasil fue el anfitrión de la cita mundialista y llegaba con la expectativa de saldar la cuenta pendiente de salir campeón del mundo jugando en su casa para así dejar atrás los fantasmas de la recordada derrota ante Uruguay en 1950 que se denominó el Maracanazo.
Con un rendimiento irregular, pero efectivo a fin de cuentas, el equipo de Luis Felipe Scolari logró llegar hasta las semifinales del certamen, donde se tuvo que medir ante Alemania.
La noche del 8 de julio de 2014, Brasil sufrió su peor derrota en noventa y cuatro años tras caer 7-1. No solo se derrumbó por completo el sueño de ganar la copa en casa, sino que las consecuencias de esta catastrófica derrota derivaron en una verdadera pesadilla para los brasileños.
En una entrevista con FourFourTwo, Marcelo, pieza clave en el once titular y protagonista aquella tarde/noche, recordó que la magnitud de la derrota fue grande para él y para todos los involucrados. “Fue una sensación horrible, la peor que experimenté en toda mi carrera. Perder de esa manera fue una desgracia. Jugar un Mundial en tu propio país, defendiendo tus colores, rodeado de tu gente, y luego perder 7-1 fue doloroso”.
El encuentro entre Brasil y Alemania en las semifinales del Mundial 2014 quedó registrado como uno de los partidos que más sorprendente resultado generó en la historia de la Copa del Mundo. Apenas transcurridos 29 minutos, la selección germana ya había anotado cinco goles, dejando sin reacción a jugadores y aficionados. “Raramente un solo partido dejó una cicatriz tan profunda en la conciencia colectiva de un país”, señaló en una entrevista a FourFourTwo.
Marcelo, quien ocupaba el lateral izquierdo aquella noche, detalló la incredulidad en el vestuario brasileño: “Fue una locura, nadie podía creerlo. Los aficionados estaban tristes, pero nosotros en el vestuario también lo estábamos”. La situación en el estadio Mineirao, en Belo Horizonte, reflejaba el sentimiento general en Brasil. El defensor comentó que nunca había experimentado una derrota de tal magnitud, ni una sensación de humillación semejante: “Perder así fue una desgracia”.
La presión sobre la selección brasileña era excepcional, ya que el torneo representaba la primera Copa del Mundo organizada en Brasil desde 1950. Aquella edición también había concluido en decepción, con la derrota ante Uruguay en el recordado Maracanazo. Para Marcelo, la historia parecía repetirse, pero el marcador hacía aún más evidente el impacto.
El relato de Marcelo expone el impacto psicológico inmediato de la derrota y la forma en que buscó superar el golpe. “Me levanté de eso. Me dije a mí mismo que no quería quedarme con ese sabor amargo. “A veces, en la vida, una derrota sirve como impulso para mejorar”, compartió el exfutbolista en su testimonio recogido por FourFourTwo.
A pesar del trauma, Marcelo transformó esa experiencia en un motor de superación personal: “Creo que de esa noche contra Alemania salí más fuerte. Quizás, si hubiéramos llegado a la final y ganado el Mundial, mi mente habría dicho ‘basta’ y me habría despedido del fútbol. Por suerte, nunca perdí la motivación”. El exjugador continuó su carrera internacional durante cuatro años más, sumando un total de 58 partidos con la selección brasileña.
No obstante, tras el Mundial de 2014, ni Marcelo ni la selección brasileña lograron conquistar títulos mayores. Brasil, incluso, no pudo superar los cuartos de final en las ediciones siguientes de una Copa del Mundo. En 2018, lo eliminó Bélgica y en 2022 lo hizo Croacia mediante los penales.
La Copa del Mundo de 2014 representaba para Brasil la oportunidad de redimirse de la derrota sufrida en 1950, cuando cayó ante Uruguay en el recordado Maracanazo. El equipo dirigido por Luiz Felipe Scolari llegaba con la presión de la localía y la esperanza de conquistar el hexacampeonato. Sin embargo, la ausencia de Neymar por lesión y la suspensión de Thiago Silva debilitaron al equipo justo antes de enfrentar a una Alemania compacta y efectiva.
Marcelo, por su parte, nunca volvió a disputar una instancia tan decisiva en la Copa del Mundo con la selección. Su testimonio sobre el 7-1 muestra la dimensión emocional del episodio y la presión de representar a Brasil en un torneo de esa magnitud. “A veces, una derrota sirve como impulso para mejorar”, insistió el exlateral, recordando que la autocrítica fue clave para continuar su carrera tras aquel golpe.
INTERNACIONAL
‘Tell me to my face’: Top moments in Mullin’s heated confirmation hearing to be Trump’s next DHS chief
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Frustrations, friendship and questions of temperament dominated the confirmation hearing for Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., as the Senate sprints to confirm him to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The hearing, led by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chair Rand Paul, R-Ky., started with a tense exchange between him and Mullin and ended with questions about whether the committee would even hold a confirmation vote.
President Donald Trump tapped Mullin to replace outgoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. The Senate has little time to move through the process, given that Trump set a deadline of March 31 to have Mullin installed as the next Homeland Security chief.
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Chairman Sen. Rand Paul speaks as Sen. Markwayne Mullin, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Homeland Security secretary, testifies before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., March 18, 2026. (Reuters/Evan Vucci; Oliver Contreras/AFP via Getty Images)
Paul plans to oppose him, meaning that unless Mullin can generate support from Democrats on the panel, his nomination will be substantially slowed.
It was fast, explosive and marred by the ongoing DHS shutdown, which entered its 33rd day on Wednesday. Below are top moments from the back-and-forth that will decide whether Mullin gets the job to lead the embattled agency.
‘Tell me to my face’
The hearing immediately opened with fireworks over Mullin’s comments that Paul’s 2017 assault, which left him with several broken ribs and the removal of part of his lung, was «justified.»
Paul accused Mullin of never having «the courage to look me in the eye and tell me that the assault was justified.»
«I just wonder if someone who applauds violence against their political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that has struggled to accept limits to the proper use of force,» Paul said.
Mullin shot back before launching into his opening remarks, saying Paul called him a «liar,» and argued, «everybody in this room knows that I’m very blunt and direct and to the point.»
«And if I have something to say, I’ll say it directly to your face. If you recall, back in my House days, we actually did have this conversation because of remarks that I made.»
«You were in a room. I simply addressed that,» he continued. «I said I could understand, because of the behavior you were having, that I could understand why your neighbor did what he did.»
‘Those words probably should have been retracted’
Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., the panel’s top Democrat, pressed Mullin on his accusation that Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minnesota, was a «deranged individual that came in to cause max damage.»
Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., grilled Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., during his confirmation hearing to become the next DHS chief. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
«Could we expect those kinds of quick responses if you are confirmed as secretary?» Peters said. «Would you be — basically — were you responding as Secretary Noem, are we going to expect that same behavior all over again?»
Mullin didn’t push back against Peters’ question.
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«Those words probably should have been retracted,» Mullin said. «I shouldn’t have said that. If secretary, I wouldn’t. The investigation is ongoing.»
«And there is — like I said — there’s sometimes going to make mistakes, and I own that one. I went out there too fast. I was responding immediately without the facts,» he continued. «That’s my fault. That won’t happen as secretary.»
Fetterman breaks with Dems
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is no stranger to bucking his own party, and he’ll likely do it again during Mullin’s confirmation vote.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks to a reporter as he arrives in the U.S. Capitol for a vote on Dec. 3, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
The pair became friendly during a congressional delegation trip and have maintained that relationship ever since.
And he recognizes that he’ll likely be the key vote to confirm his colleague.
«I came here and committed to come here with an open mind, and I’m going to continue to do that. It’s not going to be about gotcha moments for me. My experience with you has been consistent and professionalism,» Fetterman said.
But Fetterman also took a moment to blast his party for continuing to block DHS funding and noted that he was «the only Democrat that refused to shut our DHS down.»
«It’s a strange devotion. I don’t understand why you would shut the entire agency down just because you want those kinds of reforms on ICE that have absolutely no impact on ICE and don’t force any of those things,» Fetterman said. «I refuse to do that.»
Mullin’s classified trip
The nature of a shadowy trip Mullin took while serving in the House nearly derailed his expected confirmation vote on Thursday.
Peters questioned the lawmaker about an undisclosed trip taken between 2015 and 2016 and charged that «quite frankly, as we’ve had these conversations, you have not been forthcoming with me or this committee.»
«The story always seems to evolve, to kind of change, and as you know, candor, honesty, transparency are absolutely critical, particularly at this time, to try to build trust as the secretary of Homeland Security,» Peters said.
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Paul asked Mullin to explain the trip in a classified setting and threatened to cancel the hearing otherwise.
«I’m still willing to have the vote tomorrow, but I can cancel the vote tomorrow,» Paul said. «I’m still willing to have the vote, get this done and get it over with.»
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Mullin argued that, to his knowledge, only four people were aware of the details of the trip, and he did not have the authority to tell Paul or Peters.
«I would really enjoy sitting there and having a conversation with you, because I don’t want you to have questions or question my character on this,» Mullin said. «That’s very simple for me, but I can’t make that authorization. You guys know that.»
politics,senate,homeland security,rand paul,john fetterman
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