Report: IDF Forced to Hold Fire in South Lebanon Despite Claims of Freedom to Act

Following a difficult weekend in southern Lebanon, in which five Israeli soldiers were killed and dozens more were wounded in a series of incidents, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly ordered the IDF to stop firing, despite Katz's public claim that there were no limits on Israeli forces operating in Lebanon to remove threats.

According to reports from the field, the instruction applies not only deep inside Lebanon or near the Yellow Line, but even within it. As a result, retaliatory strikes have been halted, and troops say they are effectively operating under a full ceasefire while Hezbollah may violate the calm at any moment.

Soldiers on the ground say they identified terrorists inside the Yellow Zone during the day, but were not authorized to open fire, even when clear documentation from the field was available. They also say the restriction is blocking the destruction of terror infrastructure, including several significant underground installations recently exposed by the forces.

As of Thursday evening, the defense establishment was still waiting for a political green light to deal with those threats. The article says the delay is directly endangering soldiers' lives, and quotes troops and their families as placing responsibility on Netanyahu, Katz, and Defense Ministry Director General Eyal Zamir.