As a new memorandum of understanding limits the Israel Defense Forces’ rules of engagement and restricts offensive operations in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah continues carrying out terror attacks against Israeli forces. Early Wednesday morning, Hezbollah launched two explosive drones at Israeli troops in the area, along with an attempted anti-tank missile strike. Five soldiers were wounded—one seriously, two moderately, and two lightly.
During the first evacuation attempt, anti-tank fire was directed at the forces, with no casualties. The troops returned to a secure location until the area was declared safe for evacuation. The ceasefire agreement signed between Iran and the United States has left the Lebanese arena tense and complex.
Despite the understanding, rocket launches toward Israeli territory continue, while the IDF is currently refraining from proactive strikes deep inside Lebanon. The situation on the ground raises serious questions about the freedom of action for forces operating in southern Lebanon, as political and military leadership must balance international agreements against the operational need to protect soldiers in the field and residents of the north.
Channel 14’s military correspondent Hillel Bitton Rosen reported a significant change in combat conditions for ground forces. According to him, soldiers no longer enjoy the same protective umbrella that existed just days ago. “Right now our soldiers aren’t getting the protection they received until two days ago, they don’t have the ability to use preemptive fire,” Bitton Rosen explains. He adds that this poses a real danger to the forces: “The moment you take away a soldier’s ability to use fire on the battlefield, you’re taking away his best shelter.”
The operational shift is reflected in a move from proactive attack to response only in cases of definitive identification. While about 1,300 terrorists were eliminated over the past two months thanks to firing allowed on any suspicious movement, now only individual terrorists identified as armed near the forces are approved for elimination. Bitton Rosen notes that officers in the field are comparing the current situation to 2014’s “Black Friday” in Rafah, during which three IDF soldiers were killed, and warn of similar interim periods. “They (Hezbollah) don’t respect the paper the agreement is signed on, they don’t see themselves as a party to this agreement,” he emphasizes.
Just yesterday, Hezbollah fired several rockets toward the area where Israeli forces are operating in southern Lebanon. The Air Force intercepted some of the rockets, and according to policy, no alerts were activated in the area. In a separate incident, Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon identified a suspicious vehicle in the area. The soldiers fired warning shots at the vehicle, then struck the area to remove the threat it posed.