Following the IDF’s urgent evacuation warning to residents of the village of Al-Mansouri in Southern Lebanon, our forces launched a targeted wave of strikes in the area “in response to a blatant violation by the Hezbollah terror organization.” Now, an Israeli official has told Channel 14 News that “the response to Hezbollah’s violation has not yet concluded.”
The IDF Spokesperson emphasized that targeted strikes began in response to the organization’s violations, following a series of recent incidents in which Hezbollah breached the ceasefire in the sector. A military source explained that the village of Al-Mansouri lies within the security perimeter under our forces’ control, where military activity that poses a risk to Lebanese civilians is actively ongoing. The IDF evacuated residents to ensure their safety. According to the source, those civilians arrived under the auspices of the Lebanese Army, which set up a checkpoint in the area in violation of agreements.
The evacuation order comes against the backdrop of a series of incidents in which Hezbollah violated the ceasefire in the sector. Just days ago, the IDF confirmed that Hezbollah launched an explosive drone toward an engineering vehicle belonging to our forces in the Ali Taher ridge area—an incident that ended without casualties but constituted a blatant violation of agreements. Following these events, the IDF made clear that it will not permit terrorists to advance or execute terror plots against forces operating on the ground.
In a statement issued to residents by the Kfar Vradim Local Council, locals were informed that our forces will conduct a series of strikes in western Lebanon in the coming hours, and explosive sounds are expected to be heard. It was further stated that, as of now, there is no change in situational assessments or Home Front Command guidelines.
Concurrently with the escalation along the northern border, an Israeli delegation met earlier today with a Lebanese delegation as part of ongoing negotiations between the two nations. Our diplomatic correspondent, Saria Harari, reported that a source within the negotiation team stated Israeli Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter—who heads the Israeli delegation—requested that Americans halt the talks three hours before their scheduled conclusion due to repeated, biased leaks originating from the Lebanese delegation.
During the previous round of talks, both countries agreed to launch a “pilot” phase, under which our forces would withdraw from designated points in Southern Lebanon and permit the Lebanese Army to enter to prevent Hezbollah’s return. Despite this, our analyst Noam Amir reported last night that the situation on the ground within the pilot areas remains far from achieving that goal.
According to his report, Hezbollah continues to exert control over large portions of the Lebanese Army and booby-traps transport routes, with the Lebanese Army already recording two significant confrontations with the group. Furthermore, Lebanese Army officers and soldiers refuse to search Hezbollah structures, primarily due to severe fears that those buildings have been pre-rigged with explosives awaiting their troops. This dynamic leaves Hezbollah’s operational freedom virtually unhindered.