Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participated today (Monday) in a conference of the IDF senior command staff.
During the conference, Netanyahu addressed the officers and answered their questions, presenting a strategic overview of the state of the war across all fronts.
At the beginning of his remarks, the prime minister praised IDF commanders and soldiers for their actions and bravery throughout the war - in the air, at sea, and on land.
Netanyahu detailed for the commanders the shift in the balance of power against Hezbollah: “In Lebanon, there have been tremendous achievements: the elimination of the rocket array that threatened the entire country, the creation of a security zone that prevents the possibility of an invasion into northern Israel, and now also prevents direct anti-tank missile fire, while also allowing us to change the situation in Lebanon."
He clarified that the IDF is not limiting itself to the border line: “We are striking, as we are now - both in the security zone, north of the security zone, and north of the Litani River. Our freedom of action to thwart threats - immediate threats and emerging threats - is the agreement we made with the United States and also with the Lebanese government."
Alongside the praise, Netanyahu presented what he described as a realistic assessment: “I am under no illusion that this will come easily, and I also do not think - I say this honestly - that the job has been completed. There are still two major threats from Lebanon, from Hezbollah: the threat of 122 mm rockets, and the threat of drones and UAVs. This requires a combination of operational activity and technological activity. The defense minister and the chief of staff know this very well - we are making a very great technological effort to solve these problems."
The prime minister also revealed data on the erosion of the terror organization’s capabilities: “And if through an operational and technological combination we solve them, we are essentially on the path to disarming Hezbollah - because this is the main weapon they have left. They have about 10% of the missiles they had at the beginning of the war. But these still trouble the residents of the north, and I greatly appreciate their resilience and steadfastness."
In conclusion, Netanyahu addressed the command staff directly with an operational demand: “But we still have two missions left, and what I expect from you is to solve these two problems, because I think we will be able to solve the diplomatic side if we solve this."