The IDF said Friday that disarming Hezbollah is not among the goals of the current military operation. Officials added that neither the Lebanese government nor the Lebanese Armed Forces is capable of disarming Hezbollah, and that only the IDF possesses that capability. Achieving full disarmament would require moving through every village and community across Lebanon – and for that reason, it has been set aside as an objective of the present campaign.
Neutralizing the anti-tank threat
The IDF said that forces operating in southern Lebanon over recent weeks will move into position along the forward defense line in the coming week. The Northern Command defines this as the third defensive line – designed to neutralize anti-tank fire from within 8 kilometers (approximately 5 miles) of the border.
When the campaign began, IDF forces took up positions close to the border, near communities along the confrontation line, to prevent Hezbollah raid attempts. Forces subsequently seized commanding terrain at key points, and are now approaching completion of the third phase – the anti-tank neutralization line. The IDF said Friday that forces completed their takeover of the second row of villages in southern Lebanon.
Video: IDF forces operating in southern Lebanon. Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit
Northern Command explained that IDF forces are building their defensive posture through mobile defense, without constructing permanent outposts as was done in the Security Zone 26 years ago, but instead relying on armored vehicles and existing structures on the ground, such as Lebanese buildings.
In the first row of villages in Lebanon, significant damage had been inflicted during Operation Northern Arrows more than a year ago – but since then, the IDF identified a return of terrorists and weaponry that had been brought back close to the border.
In addition to the ground maneuver, the IDF has continued its fire campaign, striking Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, including in Beirut, north of the Litani River, and in the Bekaa Valley. The Northern Command said strikes on Iranians present in Lebanon have continued, as have strikes on Iranian militias, and the Lebanese Corps of the Quds Force is still operating in Lebanese territory.
The IDF and political leadership have said that Hezbollah must be separated from Iran in any negotiations toward ending the campaign. Hezbollah, they said, is deeply worried about being abandoned by Iran and is working to ensure Tehran does not leave it on its own after the fighting ends. From Israel's perspective, an end to the campaign in Iran would allow a greater concentration of effort against Hezbollah.
The village demolition plan
The IDF is working to create a significant security buffer along the northern border. As a lesson drawn from the conflict, the IDF decided to demolish structures that had housed terrorist infrastructure during the war, to prevent Hezbollah from re-entering the first row of villages and operating from them.
The IDF also said plans are being drawn up to create a security buffer zone devoid of Lebanese residents and enemy infrastructure. The IDF will present the political leadership this week with a plan for a strip of between 2 and 3 kilometers (roughly 1.2 to 1.9 miles) in which buildings will be systematically demolished, in a manner similar to what has been done in the Gaza Strip.
The plan will be presented by the IDF to the political leadership, which will need to approve it and obtain legal authorization. In practice, entire villages would be completely razed and emptied of residents – with Kfar Kila cited as an example. The IDF said there are approximately 20 Christian villages where residents will be permitted to remain, most located more than 3 kilometers (roughly 1.9 miles) from the border.
The IDF addressed Hezbollah's ongoing fire toward Israel, noting that most of the group's fire has been directed at IDF forces rather than at civilians. After the raid threat on communities had been neutralized and forces reached the anti-tank line, the priority had shifted to countering guided-missile fire, which had become the primary threat. The IDF also noted that 1,000 terrorists have been killed in Lebanon so far.
"Northern residents have been abandoned"
In response to the IDF's announcement that Hezbollah disarmament is not included among the operation's goals, Lobby 1701 (a civic advocacy group representing residents of northern Israel), which represents northern residents, issued the following statement: "Northern residents have been abandoned by the State of Israel. The decision to walk back the goal of disarming Hezbollah guarantees one thing: the next round is just around the corner. We demand that the political leadership, the cabinet, and the prime minister in particular – stop hiding behind the IDF and this time keep their promises, and their declarations from just two weeks ago – to disarm Hezbollah and instruct the IDF to complete the mission once and for all, and not stop until the mission is done.
"We will no longer believe in stories, only in what we can see with our own eyes. After you told us Hezbollah had been defeated, you have no right to break the promise you made to the public. Prime Minister – the time has come for you to start providing answers. The time has come to put an end to years of abandoning the residents of the north, to pursue a real, decisive outcome and not to buy a fleeting and illusory quiet that endangers the future of our children and the future of the Galilee."
