Today (Wednesday), the Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir, visited southern Lebanon in the area of Khiam, together with the Commanding Officer of the Northern Command, MG Rafi Milo; the Head of the Technological and Logistics Directorate, MG Rami Abudraham; the Commanding Officer of the 91st Division, BG Yuval Gaz; brigade commanders; and regular and reserve battalion commanders.
During the visit, the Chief of the General Staff held an operational situational assessment, heard briefings from the division commander and brigade commanders, spoke with the battalion commanders fighting on the ground, and toured Hezbollah underground infrastructure located beneath a children’s clothing store.
Chief of Staff Zamir stated: “IDF troops under the Northern Command continue to operate to carry out the mission of defending the communities, removing all types of threats, and deepening the dismantling of Hezbollah."
He told the commanders: "Your mission is to remove every threat to our communities and to our soldiers. All of the IDF’s capabilities are at your disposal. Continue the mission to locate the enemy in the area and dismantle terror infrastructure. Since the beginning of Operation Roaring Lion, more than 2,000 Hezbollah terrorists have been struck and eliminated. We will seize every opportunity to deepen the dismantling of Hezbollah and continue weakening it."
The Chief of Staff emphasized that Israel is at a strategic point in time: "We have a historic opportunity to change the regional reality in the multi-front operation. Cooperation and coordination with the United States military are ongoing, and we are monitoring the situation. In Iran, we have an additional series of targets ready to be struck. We are on high alert to return to a powerful and broad operation that will enable us to deepen our achievements and further weaken the Iranian regime."
"We toured a Hezbollah terror tunnel approximately 25 meters deep beneath a children’s clothing store that appears innocent above ground. This is further proof that Hezbollah uses civilian areas to carry out terrorist activities under the cover of the civilian population," he stated.
"I have great appreciation for you, the commanders, for your leadership, and especially for the reservists for their great dedication. You are on the front lines; the IDF is the defensive shield for the communities of northern Israel. We will not step back until security is ensured and a long-term solution is secured for the communities of northern Israel," Zamir concluded.