A major strategic terror network in southern Lebanon escaped destruction due to diplomatic constraints, Israel Hayom has learned.
Israeli forces had already initiated tactical preparations to neutralize the terror network before senior officials ordered the mission scrubbed. This development coincides with sensitive diplomatic track negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, alongside the emergence of a multinational oversight body composed of Qatar, the US, Iran, and Pakistan.
The operational freeze directly follows public declarations by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who stated just two days ago, "Our soldiers in southern Lebanon have full freedom of action to neutralize any direct or emerging threat to themselves or the residents of the north. The IDF faces no limitations in this regard." Netanyahu further emphasized, "I remain unyielding in my resolve that we will maintain our presence in the southern Lebanon security zone for as long as necessary to safeguard the north and protect every citizen of this state."
However, Gadi Eisenkot – the chairman of Israel's Yashar party and a former IDF chief of staff – challenged that narrative during his address at the Muni Expo 2026 local government summit, revealing that commanders have hit a wall. "In recent days, there has been zero authorization to detonate tunnels," Eisenkot remarked. "We have entered an unprecedented reality where the American president is calling on the Syrian leader to rein in Hezbollah – we have never seen anything like this."
Further complicating the security environment, the Lebanese daily Nidaa al-Watan reported Wednesday morning that the incoming ceasefire oversight committee will feature representatives from Lebanon, the US, and Iran, while Qatar and Pakistan provide auxiliary monitoring support.
Concurrently, an American official informed the Saudi news outlet Al-Arabiya that Jerusalem has demanded the Lebanese Armed Forces deploy across the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge before any tactical Israeli withdrawals from the sector. The official added that Israel intends to systematically inspect remaining Hezbollah underground shafts along the ridgeline to verify that no operatives from the terrorist group occupy them. According to the source, Israel demands that the Lebanese Armed Forces carry out steps on the ground before any withdrawal, and prove an ability to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure.
