Despite repeated public statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, unprecedented operational restrictions have been imposed on IDF forces operating in the northern sector, according to journalist Amit Segal. A New York Times report, citing two Israeli sources, says commanders and soldiers on the ground now have sharply limited freedom of action.
Under the new rules, IDF troops in Lebanon may fire only when they identify an immediate threat to their lives or to forces in the field. Any offensive action, or any shooting that does not meet the standard of direct self-defense, now requires explicit approval from the IDF chief of staff.
The report also says demolitions have been constrained. IDF soldiers are barred from blowing up houses, buildings, or other terror infrastructure inside the security zone in southern Lebanon unless they receive advance special approval from senior officers in the chain of command.
The changes significantly alter the army’s rules of engagement in Lebanon and place senior commanders, rather than frontline troops, in control of most non-defensive attacks and infrastructure destruction.
