After a hard weekend of intense fighting in which five soldiers were killed, the temporary quiet in Lebanon is misleading, according to troops on the ground. They say the lull is being used to reinforce positions, prepare attack plans and maintain high alert on convoy movements.
Israeli forces are now signaling the next phase, one that will likely include withdrawals to more rearward defensive lines. The goal, soldiers and military sources said, is to create a better security buffer for troops and for residents of northern Israel. One fighter said the latest weekend was very difficult, recalling that the battalion commander, Maj. Dor Ben Shimon, who was killed, and his soldiers fought alongside them. He said the current order is clear: anyone who spots a threat opens fire immediately.
Among the troops, the sense is that the offensive momentum has reached its limit. "We probably won't conquer more than what we have already taken," they said, adding that they are effectively preparing the next security belt. Engineering work has shifted too, with bulldozers and other heavy equipment now focused mainly on opening roads rather than demolishing buildings. Special units, including Yahalom and commando forces, are operating around the Ali Tahar ridge, where underground Hezbollah infrastructure is a key concern. Military sources say activity there has not stopped, but for the past two days forces have not gone deeper while they continue to operate under existing plans.
The troops describe the position of the army as extremely deep inside Lebanon, several hours' drive from the border, moving through village after village. They say that in the Bofur area, the reality is visible up close, deep in the villages and inside the area that affects Hezbollah's rocket array. Military officials say there is no operational advantage to staying in these forward positions once the tunnel-clearing mission is complete. They say Israel should remain beyond the Litani River, but not spread itself so deeply, and that a defined security zone must be established. The current message from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, including Netanyahu's statement after speaking with the IDF chief of staff and Northern Command commander, is meant to show that the army's hands are not tied and that it will continue acting forcefully against threats.
