The Trump administration has set Dec. 31 as the deadline for the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah, according to diplomatic sources with knowledge on the matter, Israel Hayom reported on Thursday.

Should Beirut fail to disarm the Iranian-backed group, the responsibility will rest with it, which could grant Israel the political legitimacy to launch another military campaign against the terrorist group, the newspaper's correspondent Ariel Kahana reported.

The truce in Lebanon went into effect on Nov. 27, 2024, following an intense two-month campaign by the Israel Defense Forces that led to the decapitation of Hezbollah's leadership. The agreement was cemented by the Israeli and Lebanese governments, and five mediating countries, including the United States.

The terms of the ceasefire stipulate that Southern Lebanon must be demilitarized, with the Hezbollah Shi'ite group disarmed.

This gives Israel a broad platform to enforce the terms of the truce, with frequent Israeli Air Force strikes against Hezbollah efforts to rebuild itself, as well as ground operations into the largely empty villages on the Lebanese side, situated along the border, while the terrorist group refrains from firing back.

Israel Hayom credits this situation to former Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who shaped the terms of the agreement on Israel's behalf.

However, despite the IDF's efforts, Hezbollah is rebuilding its forces, and the repeated Israeli strikes could culminate in another round of fighting, the report added.

Last week, the IAF killed the Hezbollah terrorist group's "chief of staff," Haytham Ali Tabatabai, in Beirut in a targeted airstrike.

The military operation against the No. 2 leader in the terrorist organization—which was dubbed "Black Friday"—was the first Israeli strike on Beirut since July and came nearly a year to the day since the ceasefire entered into force.

On Nov. 23, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once again urged Beirut to disarm Hezbollah.

"I expect the government of Lebanon to fulfill its commitment to disarm Hezbollah," said Netanyahu as he confirmed the death of Haytham Ali Tabatabai, the group's No. 2 after Secretary-General Naim Qassem.

Only through Beirut fulfilling its commitments under the Nov. 26, 2024, ceasefire understandings with Jerusalem, Netanyahu said, "can a better future be made possible for every citizen in Lebanon—and only in this way can good and secure neighborly relations be established."

Republished with permission from Jewish News Syndicate