IDF Chief Says Forces in South Lebanon Are Ready to Resume Fighting

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir held a special situational assessment today, Sunday, in South Lebanon with Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, Division 91 commander Brig. Gen. Yuval Gaz, maneuvering brigade commanders and other officers in the field.

During the visit, Zamir praised the soldiers and commanders for their steady performance and operational achievements, while acknowledging recent losses. “We are paying a heavy price in defending the home,” he said, adding, “The fall of Dovash and his team is painful, and I express deep sorrow for their deaths. I came here to convey, on behalf of the IDF and the entire nation, deep appreciation for everything you are doing.” He said Israel is “in a multi-front campaign” against Hezbollah and called the operation “unprecedented.”

Zamir said the army’s objective remains the defense of northern communities and Israeli civilians, and that one lesson from October 7 is that Israel will not allow radical terror groups to entrench themselves on its borders. He said Hezbollah has “suffered a severe and deep blow” and that the IDF is committed to preventing its recovery. He added that in the last two days alone, the army disrupted a significant mid-level command chain in the Badr units and other Hezbollah units.

The chief of staff said current focal points in Northern Command are the Ali Tahar and Beaufort areas, describing the Beaufort as an underground fortress Hezbollah built over 20 years. He said the ceasefire is fragile and the IDF must remain at high readiness for renewed fighting, rapid transition to attack, and countering threats if required. Zamir ended by saluting the soldiers of Armored Brigade 401, saying they have shown exceptional determination and resilience despite heavy casualties in their ranks and command structure, and concluded, “You cannot stop Brigade 401. This is your spirit, this is the spirit of the IDF.”