The IDF is seeking to respond to Hezbollah’s launch of an explosive drone overnight Tuesday toward an Israeli military engineering vehicle on the Ali Taher ridge, an attack the military views as a violation of the ceasefire in Lebanon.
The military has identified Hezbollah tunnels on the Ali Taher ridge as a possible target and is awaiting a decision from the political leadership and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir touring southern Lebanon
(Photo: IDF)
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited southern Lebanon on Wednesday alongside Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, 91st Division commander Brig. Gen. Yuval Gaz and other senior officers.
“We are prepared for any change in the situation and ready for a wide range of scenarios,” Zamir said. Referring to Israel’s military achievements against Iran, he added: “If required, we will know how to deepen those achievements.”
The visit also included a meeting with commanders and troops from the Kfir Brigade, which entered ground operations in southern Lebanon for the first time over the past week after an extended period of fighting in the Gaza Strip. Zamir met the brigade’s battalion commanders and commanders from the 91st Division and reviewed their readiness for operations in the sector.
“The campaign on all fronts is not yet over, and you must be prepared for it to continue,” Zamir told the troops. “You must remain alert and ready to adapt quickly, act rapidly and offensively and deepen the damage to the enemy.”
“We achieved very significant results in the campaign against Iran,” he added. “If required, we will know how to deepen those achievements.”
Zamir said Israeli forces had captured areas in Lebanon and were clearing them of terrorist infrastructure.
“These are areas from which the Hezbollah terrorist organization prepared, threatened and operated against communities in northern Israel,” he said. “If required, we will go deeper and reach additional areas.”
He said the IDF was operating under a clear security doctrine that called for maintaining forward defensive positions inside enemy territory wherever a direct threat existed to Israeli communities and civilians.
“The IDF is responsible for security,” Zamir said. “We will not withdraw from the areas we have captured until long-term security is guaranteed.”
The chief of staff also addressed the strain placed on troops after nearly three years of continuous fighting.
“This period brings major leadership challenges,” he said. “It is important that we explain the reality to our people and preserve their operational readiness.”
Zamir praised the 97th and 607th battalions, saying the military had invested significantly in building their capabilities and that both had demonstrated their value in combat.
Addressing Kfir Brigade troops, he said: “I look at you and see that you have fought almost continuously for nearly three years, with very few periods of rest. You moved from Gaza to Lebanon in a very short time. Your combat ability, together with the leadership and front-line command of your officers, is impressive.”
“To the brigade commanders, I express great appreciation,” Zamir continued. “The IDF is a victorious army because of you. There is no mission the IDF has received and failed to accomplish, on any front.”
He said the military’s mission was to provide lasting security for residents of northern Israel.
“We are operating in front of the communities and have removed the threat of a raid,” he said.
Zamir also called for expanding the IDF’s combat forces as its missions continue to grow.
“We are operating inside Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, the West Bank and additional sectors,” he said. “Our missions are expanding, and we need to enlarge the IDF and increase the number of combat troops in order to meet them.”
He said the military aims to allow all regular brigades to take a period of rest by the Jewish holiday season while reducing the scope of reserve service wherever possible.