Israel’s top diplomat on Tuesday said Israel was not seeking to take territory in Lebanon, as its military presses operations in the south against Hezbollah despite a ceasefire, AFP reports.

“Israel has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon. Our presence in the areas by our northern border serves one purpose: protecting our citizens,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said at a joint news conference with his Serbian counterpart, Marko Djuric.

According to him, "no country would want to live like this, with its weapons at its forehead."

"In fact, when Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations, including Palestinian terrorist groups, are destroyed, Israel will no longer need to maintain its presence in those areas," Sa’ar added.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel and Hezbollah continue hostilities, accusing each other of violating the fragile ceasefire.