Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Sunday for the "complete disarmament" of Lebanon's Hezbollah.

In a press conference with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrived in Tel Aviv on Sunday, Netanyahu said that "Hezbollah must be completely disarmed."

He added that he discussed with Rubio "the Iranian file and the necessity for Tehran not to possess a nuclear weapon."

In another matter, Netanyahu claimed that the International Criminal Court had issued arrest warrants "based on lies" against him and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant.

He believed that "Iran will not possess nuclear weapons, and with the help of the United States we can complete the mission," referring to taking the necessary measures to prevent that, stressing that the steadfast American support for Israel "will continue."

Netanyahu also stressed the need to ensure that Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel, and that his country is committed to returning all Israeli detainees held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Despite hundreds of violations, he claimed that "Israel is committed to the ceasefire in Lebanon, and expects the Lebanese government to do the same."

The Israeli army was supposed to complete its withdrawal from the areas it occupied in southern Lebanon by dawn on January 26, according to the deadline set in the ceasefire agreement between Beirut and Tel Aviv, which is 60 days starting from its entry into force on November 27, 2024.

However, Tel Aviv did not adhere to the deadline, before Washington later announced an extension of the deadline by an Israeli-Lebanese agreement until February 18.

However, the Israeli army returned to evade the agreement again, announcing in a statement on Wednesday, "extending the period of implementation of the agreement."

Since the agreement came into effect 80 days ago, Israel has committed 934 violations in Lebanon, leaving 73 dead and 265 wounded, according to a statistic by Anadolu Agency based on official Lebanese data.

For his part, the Israeli Army Radio quoted Rubio on Sunday as saying that it is necessary for Iran not to possess a nuclear weapon.

During the joint press conference, Rubio said, "Iran is a source of threat in the region, and the Iranian people are victims of the regime there."

While the Hebrew newspaper "Israel Hayom" quoted Rubio as saying, "Hamas cannot remain in Gaza, and the detainees (Israelis in the Strip) must return. This is not an option. We will work together to achieve it."

Rubio did not stop there, but Channel 12 quoted him as saying: “Hamas must not control the Gaza Strip and must not continue as a political and military force, but must be annihilated and eliminated,” he said.

Rubio added to the same channel that "all detainees from Gaza must be released," and stressed the strength of Tel Aviv's relations with US President Donald Trump, saying: "I do not think there is a better ally for Israel than Trump."

This is the US Secretary of State's first visit to Israel and the Middle East since assuming office on January 21.

Rubio's visit comes as negotiations for the second phase of the agreement were supposed to begin 13 days ago (February 3), but the Israeli government is still stalling, prompting the prisoners' families to escalate their pressure and demand that the agreement be completed before any new military decisions in Gaza.

The first phase of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement began on January 19, and is divided into three phases, each lasting 42 days, with the condition that the next phase be negotiated before the current phase is completed.

Egypt and Qatar are conducting intensive mediation to save the agreement, in light of the continued Israeli violations and logistical gaps that have prevented the full implementation of the provisions of the first phase.