IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has ordered the military to prepare for all scenarios, both defensive and offensive, even as signs point to a long-term ceasefire with Iran and a possible easing on the Lebanese front. The instruction calls for high readiness and rapid shifts from routine to emergency conditions, with special emphasis on Air Force squadrons and air defense units.
According to the article, the IDF is preparing for the possibility of a strike in Iran and for a renewed intense campaign in Lebanon against Hezbollah. Security officials said there is no sign in the near term of any reduction in the U.S. military footprint in Israel, aside from discussions about moving refueling aircraft out of Ben Gurion Airport to other bases so the airport can return to normal operations.
Israeli officials say the U.S. refueling fleet parked at Ben Gurion has significantly disrupted activity at Israel's main airport. Thousands of American soldiers are currently in Israel, operating air defense systems and maintaining aircraft as part of the campaign against Iran. One military source said, "The situation is still fragile and no one can guarantee with 100 percent certainty that any diplomatic process will not collapse along the way."
Meanwhile, Iranian threats to attack Israel continue if the IDF keeps striking in Lebanon. In the north, the IDF says it is working to remove immediate threats to its forces and to stop Hezbollah attempts to challenge troops, as well as efforts by Lebanese civilians, whom the military suspects may include Hezbollah operatives, to return to villages in southern Lebanon. The army says no one may cross the yellow line and return to the villages until further notice.
In recent days, Israeli Air Force interceptors shot down several rockets fired by Hezbollah at the area where IDF forces are operating in southern Lebanon. On Monday and Tuesday, Hezbollah also fired an anti-tank missile and several mortar shells at Israeli troops in the same sector, with no casualties. In several other incidents over the past few days, IDF forces identified armed militants moving in vehicles toward the troops and posing an immediate threat, and the Air Force struck those threats in coordination with ground forces.
