Israel’s top political and security leadership announced an escalation of military operations in Lebanon on Monday, amid what officials described as an unprecedented security period since October 7. During a ceremony for the incoming head of the Military Intelligence Directorate, Defense Minister Israel Katz presented new strike directives formulated with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, aimed directly at the heart of Lebanon’s Shiite stronghold.
3+Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made clear that Israel is removing restrictions and canceling the immunity previously granted to certain areas in the Lebanese capital: “Together with the defense minister, I have instructed the IDF to strike terror targets in Beirut. There will be no situation where Hezbollah attacks our cities and our citizens, while its terror headquarters in Beirut, in Dahieh, remain off-limits.”
Netanyahu updated on the progress of forces fighting in Lebanese territory and set a clear goal for the continued campaign: “We are continuing to deepen our operations in southern Lebanon, destroying Hezbollah strongholds. Hezbollah is on the run. We are determined to restore security to residents of the north, just as we did for residents of the south.”
3+Defense Minister Israel Katz used the platform of the Military Intelligence Directorate ceremony to elaborate on the background that led to the dramatic decisions, noting that since the events of October 7, the state has been required to deal with complex threats, overt and covert, in near and distant arenas.
Katz presented Israel’s new ultimatum forcefully: “In response to ceasefire violations by the Hezbollah terror organization and the firing toward northern communities, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have ordered the IDF to strike terror targets in the Dahieh district of Beirut. The fate of Dahieh in Beirut is like the fate of northern communities in Israel—if there is no quiet in the north, there will be no quiet in Beirut. We will not allow a reality of attacks on our communities and citizens while quiet is maintained in Beirut.”
3+Beyond the aerial exchanges, the defense minister detailed the objectives of the ground maneuver the IDF is currently conducting, designed to create an entirely new geopolitical reality on the northern border: “In parallel, the IDF continues to operate with fire and maneuver against Hezbollah terrorists and systems in Lebanon, achieving very significant accomplishments and crushing the terror organization’s capabilities in the field, in order to distance threats from IDF forces and from the residents of the State of Israel, and to turn the Litani area into territory under IDF security control and clean of weapons and terrorists.”
In closing, the defense minister sought to give full backing to fighters on the front and sent a message of armed commitment to the Israeli home front: “We strengthen the hands of IDF commanders and soldiers on the heroic war to defend the north. We promised security to residents of the north and that is exactly what we are doing and will do.”
Earlier today, military affairs correspondent Hallel Biton Rosen reported that Israeli forces continue to deepen strikes in Lebanese territory and killed Abu Ali Hamza, a Hezbollah terrorist who served as commander of the Tyre area, in a precise strike yesterday. The terrorist’s elimination comes after security officials said yesterday that the IDF is preparing for a significant deepening of additional strikes deep in Lebanon and in Beirut.
3+Yesterday, the IDF cleared for publication that as part of expanding the ground campaign and deepening the blow to the Iranian axis, IDF forces have been conducting a large-scale offensive operation beyond the Litani River in recent days, with the most significant achievement being the capture of Beaufort.
The offensive operation to expand the forward defense line began several days ago and focuses on achieving full control of the Beaufort ridge and the Saluki River area. In these areas, the Hezbollah terror organization, under Iranian guidance and funding, established fortified infrastructure from which the terrorists conducted combat and executed numerous terror plans.
Before the forces’ routine entry and during preparation work in the field, Northern Command deployed a wide and lethal fire envelope: “The Air Force struck Hezbollah infrastructure in the area massively, as part of a wide fire casing that also included artillery and tank fire. In addition, forces completed a series of significant strikes in the area toward dominant terrain, scanned and neutralized military infrastructure in the Litani area, and carried out essential engineering work to create conditions for the offensive operation.”