Hezbollah's chief said Sunday it was the government's responsibility to ensure the Israeli army withdraws from Lebanon by a looming ceasefire deadline, as Israel carried out air strikes in the country.

The developments came as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from Jerusalem, called on Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah following its recent war with Washington's closest regional ally Israel.

Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA), meanwhile, reported Israeli forces opened fire towards the southern border town of Hula "after residents entered", killing a woman.

The violence followed unrest this week over the government's decision to block Iranian flights, which saw a UN peacekeeper convoy attacked during a protest.

"Israel must fully withdraw on February 18, it has no excuse," Hezbollah's Naim Qassem said in a televised address.

"It is the responsibility of the Lebanese state" to exert every effort "to make Israel withdraw", he added.

A fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group has been in effect since November 27 after more than a year of hostilities including two months of all-out war.

Under the deal, Lebanon's military was to deploy in the south alongside........

© Al Monitor