IDF chief in south Lebanon says ceasefire is fragile and Hezbollah is weakened

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir held an operational assessment in southern Lebanon with Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, the commander of the 91st Division and other senior officers. Zamir said Israel is paying a heavy price defending the home front, referring to the killing of Lt. Col. Dor Ben Shimon and his team, and said the army’s mission remains protecting communities in the north and Israeli civilians.

He said Hezbollah is “in distress,” has suffered a “severe and deep blow,” and that the IDF must stay ready to keep operating and prevent the group from rebuilding. According to Zamir, in the last two days alone the IDF disrupted a significant mid-level command chain in the Badr units and other formations. He added that the ceasefire “is fragile,” and that the army must be prepared for a quick return to combat, including an immediate shift to offense if needed.

Zamir said a current focus of Northern Command is the Ali Taher and Beaufort area, describing the site as an underground fortress Hezbollah built over 20 years. He said one of the main lessons of October 7 is that Israel will not allow radical terror groups to establish themselves on its borders.

Earlier reporting said a new round of talks between Lebanon and Israel is set to begin Tuesday and last through Thursday, focusing on pilot zones, phased withdrawal, and the deployment of the Lebanese army in areas evacuated by the IDF. A Lebanese source told Al-Diyar that political and military delegations will take part on the first day, and said President Joseph Aoun told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that stabilizing the ceasefire is the priority.

Separately, Defense Minister Israel Katz said there had never been any restriction on IDF soldiers in Lebanon removing threats. He said the army responded forcefully after the attack on its forces, killed many Hezbollah operatives, hit numerous terror sites, and retained all of its gains in the Lebanon campaign. Katz said the IDF remains deployed in the security zone along the yellow line in Lebanon and will not withdraw, echoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.