JERUSALEM/BEIRUT - Israel could withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon if Hezbollah is disarmed, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Monday.

In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office hailed a decision made by the Lebanese government earlier this month to bring weapons under state control by the end of 2025. The step, the office said, was "a momentous decision" and offered Lebanon "a crucial opportunity to reclaim its sovereignty and restore the authority of its state institutions."

The office added that if the Lebanese army implements the disarmament process, Israel will consider taking "reciprocal measures," including a phased reduction of its military presence in the south, coordinated with a US-led security mechanism.

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"Now is the time for both Israel and Lebanon to move forward in a spirit of cooperation, focusing on the shared objective of disarming Hezbollah and promoting stability and prosperity for both nations," the statement said.

The statement came a day after US envoy Tom Barrack, who has been urging Beirut to move forward with Hezbollah's disarmament, met Netanyahu in Israel.

However, Hezbollah leaders had refused to relinquish their weapons and criticized Lebanese leaders for prioritizing political survival over national defense, stating that they should "remove Israel first" before debating the group's arms.

Additionally, Israeli drone strikes continued in Lebanon on Monday. The country's Health Emergency Operations Center of the Ministry of Public Health said in a statement that "the Israeli enemy's drone strike targeted a Rapid-type vehicle on the Ain al-Mazrab-Tebnine road in Bint Jbeil district, resulting in one killed."

A Lebanese security source told Xinhua that the person killed in the Israeli drone strike was a Hezbollah member.

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Since Nov 27, 2024, a US- and French-brokered ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel has formally been in effect, aiming to end more than a year of cross-border clashes. The agreement stipulated Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon, but the Israeli army has maintained several posts along the border and continues to launch attacks, citing "threats" from Hezbollah.

Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem on Monday rejected calls to disarm the Lebanese armed group, insisting its weapons remain essential to Lebanon's sovereignty and defense.

"The weapons that protect us, honor us, and preserve our land and dignity -- we will not abandon them," Qassem said in a speech broadcast by al-Manar TV. "Those who want to strip us of these weapons want to strip us of our very soul. That will never happen."

Qassem warned that disarming Hezbollah would only serve Israel's interests and betray the sacrifices of thousands of fighters and civilians killed in recent conflicts.

He stressed that Lebanon's problems stem from "Israeli aggression and occupation, backed by the United States".

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Qassem rejected claims that Hezbollah had completed its mission, insisting that "resistance is not over -- it defends, liberates, and deters the enemy." He credited Hezbollah, alongside the Lebanese army and people, for preventing Israel from advancing into Lebanese territory since 2006, adding that the group had successfully maintained nearly two decades of deterrence.

Qassem concluded by urging the Lebanese government to resist foreign pressure, vowing that Hezbollah and its allies stand ready to support Lebanon's sovereignty and reconstruction.