JERUSALEM - Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday on X that the country will continue hitting Hezbollah in Lebanon "with full force" and that there will be no ceasefire.

"In Lebanon, there will be no ceasefire and no respite," Katz said. "We will continue to strike Hezbollah with full force until the war's objectives are achieved," he added.

Katz, who assumed office earlier this month, said Israel would reject any ceasefire deal that does not allow it to conduct attacks in Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah from rearming.

He added that the war's goals include "disarming Hezbollah, pushing them back beyond the Litani River, and ensuring the safe return of northern residents to their homes."

ALSO READ: At least '26 killed, 19 injured in Israeli airstrikes in eastern, southern Lebanon'

Cross-border hostilities began last October following Hamas' attack on Israeli communities. In late September, Israel escalated the conflict after conducting a large-scale ground offensive in Lebanon, primarily targeting southern Lebanon, Beirut's southern suburb, and the Bekaa Valley.