JERUSALEM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Sunday for the full disarmament of the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Speaking at a press conference with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu said he discussed with the top US diplomat a host of issues, including preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

“We agreed that the ayatollahs must not have nuclear weapons and also agreed that Iran's aggression in the region must be rolled back,” he said.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place in Lebanon since Nov. 27, ending months of mutual shelling between Israel and Hezbollah that escalated into a full-scale conflict last September.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has committed over 870 violations, killing and injuring dozens in Lebanon, including women and children.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Israel refused to comply.

“If any other force believes that Israel will permit other hostile forces to use Syria as a base of operations against us, they are gravely mistaken,” Netanyahu warned.

He also claimed that the International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued arrest warrants against him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant based on "lies."

The ICC issued arrest warrants in November last year for Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.