During a visit to southern Lebanon, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said follow-up operational plans had been approved for both the Lebanese and Iranian fronts. “Hezbollah has suffered a severe blow. We must not allow Iran to score gains,” he said.
After an Iranian report claimed a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon would begin overnight, a senior Israeli official said there had been no change in policy. The comments came amid continuing talks and threats by Hezbollah not to honor any agreement.
Senior IDF officials say that, as far as the military is concerned, troops will remain in the area "until long-term security for residents of the north is guaranteed." The IDF reports extensive operations in southern Lebanon, with the main focus on Bint Jbeil, a Hezbollah stronghold.
The IDF has encircled the southern Lebanese town where Hezbollah's slain leader delivered his infamous "Spider's Web" speech – killing more than 100 terrorists and dismantling dozens of terror infrastructure sites.
Following the collapse of peace talks, the US Navy is set to enforce a sweeping maritime blockade on Iranian ports starting Monday; Tehran calls it piracy.
Lebanon insists on a ceasefire before talks begin; Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam was advised not to travel to the US to avoid a "potential ambush."
An initial call is set to take place between Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, and the incoming Lebanese ambassador. The conversation is only a first step ahead of the launch of official negotiations early next week.
Israel Hayom has learned that contacts and message exchanges between Israel and the Lebanese government continued for many months, for more than a year, and included coordination over dealings with Hezbollah. Since the start of the current conflict, the pace of the contacts has increased. A Lebanese source told Reuters that Beirut wants a temporary ceasefire in order to hold direct dialogue with Israel.
Tehran plans to cap traffic through the world's most critical oil chokepoint at 15 ships a day, while the White House warns NATO allies that political declarations are no longer enough.
Two diplomatic sources tell Israel Hayom that Israel is considering a return to the November 24 ceasefire framework – a move aimed at giving the US room to open negotiations with Tehran.
