Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned on Thursday that Lebanon is now under Hezbollah's "complete control," The Times of Israel reported.
His remark came after Hezbollah's success in the Lebanese parliamentary elections earlier this week.
According to Lieberman, the outcome of the vote had led to a dangerous situation on the country's northern border, where Lebanese servicemen "take direct orders from Hezbollah and [its leader, Hassan] Nasrallah."
"Hezbollah has in practice completed its takeover of Lebanon," Lieberman was quoted by the newspaper as saying.
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"And that means it is in complete control not just of the Lebanese [government], but also its army. From now on a Lebanese sniper is a Hezbollah stand-in and takes direct orders from Hezbollah and Nasrallah. And that is a new reality," he said.
On Sunday, Lebanon held its first general election since 2009. Within the nine-year period in between, the nation's parliament extended its mandate three times under the pretext of political instability. As many as 976 candidates competed for the 128 seats in parliament, which are distributed according to ethnic-religious lines between 11 groups. The election took place in 15 Lebanese regions.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah is designated by the United States, Israel, and several Arab countries as a terrorist organization. The European Union has designated Hezbollah's military wing as a terrorist entity.
