Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi held an operational situation assessment at the IDF’s Northern Command on Wednesday together with the Head of the Northern Command and Commander of the Israeli Air Force. The briefing was attended by senior IDF officials and focused on developments in the northern arena. Minister Gallant emphasized the importance of addressing the threat posed by drone attacks, as well as ongoing efforts to thwart senior Hezbollah officials. The Minister told the officials in attendance that full readiness must be maintained for all scenarios. “We are conducting a situation assessment in the Northern Command – this is important for our ongoing actions and readiness for anything that may come. The IDF gained a lot of experience as a result of the war – both in the south and in the north. This is true for all the different parts of the IDF,” Gallant stated after the briefing. He added: “We are achieving readiness on land and in the air, strengthening our intelligence systems and preparing for every scenario. We must all remember that Hezbollah started a war against us on October 8th, a day after Hamas [attacked Israel], and since then, it has not stopped [attacking Israel]. We have an obligation to change the situation in the north and to ensure the safe return of our citizens to their homes, and we will find a way to achieve this.” The Defense Minister concluded: “I would like to thank the IDF Chief of the General Staff and all our troops for their determination and for all the activities they have conducted here and across the country. They have conducted their missions in a professional, accurate, and responsible manner, and this will continue to be the case even if we reach a reality in which the fighting will be on a different scale in the north.”
