Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have repeatedly said in recent days that Israel retains “full freedom of action” in Lebanon, especially for thwarting threats. Their statements came amid Iranian efforts to link the U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks to the northern front, and as Washington presses Israel. But soldiers operating in southern Lebanon describe a different reality on the ground, with vague and sometimes conflicting orders.
One soldier told N12, “We are getting unclear instructions, sometimes contradictory ones.” Another said fire-control rules have become much stricter since the ceasefire. “If I identify a real threat, of course I shoot,” he said, but if troops find a shaft, they do not blow it up, and they avoid using weapons that would make “noise.” He added that the goal is to keep a low profile and avoid “diplomatic incidents” while UN forces are present, and said the maneuver has effectively been stopped.
Netanyahu wrote on Monday that his instructions to the army had not changed and that troops in southern Lebanon have “full freedom of action” to stop any direct or emerging threat, with no restrictions on the IDF. Katz issued a similar message, saying commanders and fighters have full backing from him, the prime minister and the military leadership, and can act decisively in Lebanon, Gaza and anywhere else needed to defend Israel. Donald Trump was asked about Netanyahu’s remarks and said, “We’ll check it,” adding, “I solve problems, solve problems quickly, including Bibi.”
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett accused Netanyahu and Katz of misleading the public. He said he had spoken overnight with soldiers and officers in or returning from Lebanon, who told him Hezbollah operatives were reestablishing positions, repairing infrastructure and rearming, while Israeli troops were not allowed to open fire. He said decisions that once could be made by a company commander now require a general’s approval, that air force aircraft had “completely stopped” operating, and that weakened fire support had hurt wounded soldiers during evacuations.
The article also says a new international monitoring mechanism was set up in Switzerland, after the first high-level round of talks following the U.S.-Iran understanding. The arrangement, announced by Qatar and Pakistan, is meant to prevent clashes and oversee the Lebanon ceasefire without Israel being named. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called it “the first real test,” while Iran’s Tasnim news agency said Tehran had become part of Lebanon’s security framework despite U.S. and Israeli opposition.
