Despite the official “ceasefire,” fighting continues in southern Lebanon. The IDF said overnight Saturday into Sunday that it struck Hezbollah military buildings “used to advance terrorist activity.” The statement emphasized that the army is acting in accordance with directives from the political leadership, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the IDF “to strike with force.”
Two days ago, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a three-week extension of the ceasefire in Lebanon. But the IDF continues to carry out targeted strikes and order residents to evacuate certain villages, while Hezbollah launched rockets and drones at the Galilee on Saturday. Reports of IDF strikes in southern Lebanon also continued Sunday morning.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said today at a government meeting that "the impression is that the IDF is not operating there. It is operating, and it is operating vigorously. We need to understand that Hezbollah's violations are actually disintegrating the ceasefire. We are operating vigorously according to rules that we agreed upon with the United States, and also, incidentally, with Lebanon. And that means freedom of action not only to respond to attacks - that's clear - but to thwart immediate threats, and also to endanger emerging threats."
Metula Mayor David Azoulay addressed the developments in an interview with ynet, saying: “Both regarding the ceasefire 10 days ago and last Thursday, we were updated by the American president. Apparently he makes decisions for Israel, and I don’t remember voting for him in the last election. Israel is looking after other interests. Apparently the residents’ security is less important to the prime minister.”
“Are we going to wait until someone dies or an anti-tank missile hits a home?" Azoulay continued. "We want negotiations; we are not against them. But they need to take place alongside crushing Hezbollah. People are afraid to come here. Everything is so fragile. The IDF is very disappointing in its statements. Northern Command and the IDF spokesman are sending contradictory messages.”
Asked about Netanyahu’s directive for “forceful” strikes, he said: “It’s all weak. What force? There was nothing. There were strikes in southern Lebanon, but not where they were needed. There is nothing new. It is meant to tell us, ‘Look, we’re striking.’ It is all one big bluff. We have been abandoned to our fate. We have had enough.”
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Soldiers uncover location of a Hezbollah anti-tank missile cache in southern Lebanon
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Mateh Asher Regional Council head Moshe Davidovich called life near the border with Lebanon an "unacceptable reality."
"It is theater of the absurd," he told ynet. "Yesterday the beaches were full, and then suddenly there were sirens. And this is when the State of Israel says we are green. People lay down on the beaches with their hands over their heads. This is not something we will accept. We understand that this is a fake ceasefire, and we expect the prime minister and defense minister to give the IDF freedom of action to do everything necessary so Hezbollah will not threaten the citizens of the State of Israel.”
Yesterday, the prime minister said he had ordered forceful strikes.
“Planes circled above our heads, but we did not hear about any house collapsing and we did not hear about any hit. We did not see that it did anything to change the picture in the north. Today, instead of children going to school, a significant number of parents decided they would keep them at home.”