IDF chief says Lebanon ceasefire is fragile and forces must stay ready to fight

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir held an operational assessment on Sunday in southern Lebanon with Northern Command chief, the commander of the 91st Division, maneuver brigade commanders and other senior officers. He praised the troops operating in the sector and said Israel remains in a multi-front war against Hezbollah, calling the activity there “unprecedented.”

Zamir said the mission is unchanged, defending northern communities and Israeli civilians. “That is why we are operating, and that is where we are directing all of our efforts,” he said. He added that the IDF operations in the Ali Taher and Beaufort areas are meant to serve that goal, and stressed that Israel will not allow a security situation in which radical terror groups entrench themselves along its borders.

He said that in the last two days alone, the army had disrupted a significant mid-level command chain in the Badr units and other units. On Hezbollah, Zamir said the group has “suffered a deep and severe blow,” and that the IDF must remain prepared to continue operating and prevent its recovery.

Addressing the ceasefire, Zamir said it is “fragile” and that the army must stay at a high level of readiness to resume combat, thwart threats and rapidly shift to offense if needed. He said all IDF resources are being allocated for that purpose. He ended by praising Brigade 401, saying it has shown extraordinary determination and resilience despite heavy losses among its fighters and commanders, and concluded, “No one can stop Brigade 401.”