Parents of commando troops in Lebanon accuse leaders of tying soldiers’ hands

Dozens of parents of soldiers serving in the IDF Commando Brigade in Lebanon sent a sharply worded letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, criticizing the battlefield situation and demanding action. The parents said their sons are in Lebanon “with their hands tied,” and asked the leaders to either let them defeat the enemy or work to end the fighting.

In the letter, the parents said they see no clear purpose to the current military activity in Lebanon and warned, “We will not allow our soldiers to be sacrificed for foreign considerations or indifference from the political echelon.” They also called for cabinet meetings not to include ministers whose children or grandchildren do not serve in the IDF and, in the parents’ words, are even proud of it.

The letter came after commanders and soldiers described a difficult operational reality in southern Lebanon. One soldier told N12, “There are plans, we are just waiting for approval.” He said troops were receiving unclear orders, sometimes contradictory ones, adding, “We want them to authorize us to move forward.” Another soldier said that since the ceasefire, fire regulations have become very strict, with the army avoiding explosive action on structures like shafts unless there is a direct threat.

He said the tighter rules are meant to prevent diplomatic incidents because UN forces are present in the area. Another soldier said, “As far as I understand, the maneuver was stopped completely.” The parents’ appeal was reported after the IDF and political leadership had publicly emphasized Israel’s freedom of action in Lebanon in recent days.