The Lebanon ceasefire announced yesterday by the United States for the fifth time does not end the campaign, but shifts it into a critical strategic phase, as the new rules of the game are being set. The IDF is deploying in southern Lebanon and holding key positions meant to deny Hezbollah the strategic assets it built over decades with Iranian funding and direction. Israeli military officials say the advance has stopped in line with political guidance, but the fighting has not stopped and there is no order to withdraw.
Those positions give the IDF fire control over two Hezbollah centers of gravity, Nabatieh in the east and the Tyre area in the west. Forces from Division 36 in Tebnit and on parts of Mount Ali Taher threaten Nabatieh directly, while Division 91 in Majdal Zun and surrounding areas provides direct observation and fire control over the Tyre area. The army says the infrastructure it has reached contains developed terror facilities that threatened northern Israeli communities, and destroying them is a condition for residents to return safely home.
In Tebnit, IDF forces are encircling dozens of Hezbollah operatives trapped inside a major underground network more than a kilometer long. The army says it intends to deal with both the tunnel system and the fighters inside, adding, “As long as the threat exists, we will stay and act professionally and only for operational reasons.” Officials say they do not expect the Lebanese army to seriously act against these sites, even though such responsibility could be discussed in negotiations.
The ceasefire is being tested on the ground amid heavy fighting and losses. On Saturday night around 1:30 a.m., rockets, a mortar shell and an explosive drone hit a commando force near the village, killing Staff Sgt. Nir Ben Ari of the Maglan unit and wounding 13 others, including two seriously. The IDF then launched a major strike wave on Hezbollah infrastructure in Nabatieh. A separate tank disaster from the night between Thursday and Friday is still under investigation, after Lt. Col. Dor Ben Shimhon and three soldiers were killed; one of them, Staff Sgt. Yoav Klein, was cleared for publication, and the army says the tank was hit directly, likely by an anti-tank missile or explosive drone. Israeli security officials remain on high alert for an immediate return to intense fighting while talks with Lebanon continue.
