IDF Chief in South Lebanon: Ceasefire Is Fragile, Army Ready to Resume Fighting

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited southern Lebanon on Sunday and held a wide operational assessment with Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, 91st Division commander Brig. Gen. Yuval Goz, and maneuver brigade commanders. He said Israel is prepared to return to intense fighting at any moment.

“We are in a multi-front campaign and continue to fight the terrorist organization Hezbollah,” Zamir said. He described the mission as unprecedented and said the goal remains “protecting the communities of the north and the citizens of Israel.” He added that IDF activity in the al-Tahhar and Beaufort areas is meant to advance that objective.

Zamir said one of the main lessons of Oct. 7 is that Israel will not allow radical terror groups to entrench themselves along its borders. He said Hezbollah has suffered “a severe and deep blow” and that the army must remain ready to keep operating and prevent the group’s recovery. According to him, Hezbollah is in “very serious distress.”

He said that in the last two days alone the IDF disrupted a significant mid-level command chain in the Bader units and other units. He also said a current focus of Northern Command is the al-Tahhar and Beaufort areas, which he described as an underground fortress Hezbollah built over 20 years. Zamir stressed the need for high operational readiness because of the current diplomatic situation, saying, “The declared ceasefire is fragile, and we need to be prepared with high readiness for a resumption of hostilities, to thwart threats and move quickly to attack if required. All IDF resources are allocated for this.”