VIDEO - Operating in accordance with decision. The scope of the Israel Air Force's activities over Lebanon's sky has significantly dropped since the declaration on suspending air strikes for 48 hours.
On Monday morning and afternoon, aerial forces mainly engaged in covering for the ground forces operating in a number of areas in southern Lebanon, and sufficed with covering fire near the village of Tayyibah.
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| Lebanese village of Qana. The day after (Video: Reuters) |
The Air Force's last sorties were noted at 1:35 a.m. The army struck a weapons cache and an obstruction spot in the Litani area, aimed at preventing terrorists from moving in the area. The home of a Hizbullah member was also attacked.
Despite a decision on ending the aerial attack, the IDF is continuing in its mission of reshaping the new border. Forces are scheduled to complete the destruction of all Hizbullah posts two kilometers from the border by Thursday, and according to a senior officer, "there will be no sign of Hizbullah, including their flag, in this area."
'We won't remain apathetic'
"Every target that represents an immediate threat – will be attacked," a senior IDF officer said. "At this stage there is no intention to attack targets that can be attacked at a later stage, but we won't remain apathetic if we identify a terrorist cell or a Katyusha rocket launcher in operation."
The officer admitted however that the IDF will refrain from aerial attacks where civilians can be found, as happened at the village of Qana.
Among senior officers in the IDF, various voices expressed surprise about the decision to commence an immediate aerial ceasefire. The decision was highly surprising, as the Air Force Headquarters Chief Brigadier General Amir Eshel said Sunday that there was no intention of ending operations. IDF Operations Chief Major General Gadi Eisenkot said Sunday that while investigating the Kfar Qana incident, the IDF will continue to operate in order to reduce rocket fire at Israel.
Many of the senior officers preferred not to directly address the implications to freeze Air Force activities, at least partially, but stressed that the Kfar Qana incident would continue to be investigated alongside operational sorties.
"It's not a secret – there is excess meticulousness not to harm civilians – not in Lebanon and not in Gaza. What happened on Sunday took place because we did not know there were civilians there. We are checking why, but theoretically it can also happen tomorrow or next week, this is how it is when a civilian and a terrorist are under the same roof. This is the situation with which we are dealing with in Gaza, and now also in Lebanon," said one of the officers.
During the afternoon, IDF forces continued to operate along the eastern region of southern Lebanon in the area of the town of al-Taibeh.
Operations there are being carried out by Nahal Division forces and forces from the 401 Armored Corps, while the Paratroopers Division is simultaneously operating in the western region, around villages containing Hizbullah infrastructures.
Earlier, three soldiers were lightly injured when their Puma-type armored vehicle turned over. An IDF tank which set out on a rescue mission was struck by an anti-tank missile but there were no injuries and the vehicles which absorbed the attack have been taken out of the combat zone. IDF sources told Ynet that ground forces are continuing to operate in the area, searching for Hizbullah infrastructures, arms, communication equipment, and other types of equipment.
"In recent hours the level of friction between soldiers and Hizbullah members has gone down, but this does not mean that there are no terrorists in the area or that operations have ended," a military source said.
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