Senior commanders received new orders on Saturday limiting what troops can do in Lebanon, according to two unnamed Israeli officials who spoke to The New York Times. Under the instructions, soldiers may open fire only to respond to an immediate threat unless they have approval from the chief of staff. The officials said the rules also explicitly bar warning shots at civilians trying to return to southern Lebanon, unless they get too close to Israeli forces.
The same orders reportedly prohibit troops from demolishing houses and other infrastructure inside the security zone without authorization from senior officers. The Israeli officials asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
The new account appears to conflict with public remarks by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. Netanyahu said his and the defense minister’s guidance to the military was unchanged, that fighters in southern Lebanon had full freedom to neutralize any immediate or emerging threat, and that there were no restrictions. He added that Israel would remain in the security strip in southern Lebanon as long as necessary to protect residents of the north and all Israeli citizens.
Katz gave a similar public message, saying the security of Israeli civilians and troops comes first and that the IDF has full backing and full freedom of action to act decisively against any threat in southern Lebanon, Gaza, and anywhere else needed to defend Israel.
