IDF Chief of the General Staff LTG Herzi Halevi on Sunday conducted a situational assessment today in southern Lebanon.
Attending the assessment alongside Halevi were Commanding Officer of the Northern Command, MG Ori Gordin; the Commanding Officer of the 146th Division, BG Yiftach Norkin; the Commanding Officer of the 300th Brigade, COL Omri Rosenkrantz; and other senior officers.
Speaking during the assessment, Halevi said, "In order to truly defeat Hezbollah — because militarily, we have already won, and our victory is very clear — to truly win, to achieve long-term victory, is to have many residents living here [in northern Israel], vast tourism, to reopen the restaurants and cafes that used to be here, to have people coming to cycle, agriculture flourishing — everything thriving. This is a long-term victory. And the state must step in and strongly reinforce this responsibility."
Earlier on Sunday, Israel Hayom reported that Israel is considering the possibility of leaving IDF forces in several strategic positions in southern Lebanon even after the ceasefire agreement's 60-day deadline to withdraw to the international border.
According to the report, the possibility of maintaining an Israeli presence in southern Lebanon was mentioned in several security staff meetings and stems from two central reasons. The first reason is the slow deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces in the south, and the second is the multitude of Hezbollah arms and infrastructure that are still being uncovered as well as the terrorist organization's efforts to reestablish itself with Iranian assistance.