The IDF struck a cell of armed terrorists in southern Lebanon, in its first strike in the country after three days of quiet on the northern front.
The IDF stated that it identified the cell of armed terrorists operating in proximity to IDF soldiers in the Security Zone in the Ali al-Taher Ridge area. Following the identification, the soldiers struck the terrorists north of the Security Zone to remove the threat.
The military published a photo of one of the terrorists before he was eliminated.
"The IDF will continue to operate to remove immediate threats and will not allow the Hezbollah terrorist organization to harm Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers," the military stated.
Hezbollah commented: “The enemy army opened machine-gun fire toward a group of civilians who were working to clear roads and recover bodies from the rubble. The attack resulted in the deaths of two civilians, one of them a municipal worker. We warn that this is a blatant violation of the ceasefire that we have adhered to until now."
In recent days, military sources have claimed that Israel's actions in the area beyond the yellow line in Lebanon are limited in practice. They said that strikes that were in the past approved by field commanders must now receive approval from the highest echelons.
According to the sources, the limits largely concern proactive operations against Hezbollah targets deep in Lebanon, including command centers, arms caches, production sites, and terrorist infrastructure not considered an immediate threat to the troops.
The New York Times reported that the Israeli forces operating in Lebanon are subject to stricter guidelines, and that it is only permitted to open fire at an immediate threat or after receiving direct authorization from the Chief of Staff.
According to the report, troops are prohibited from firing at civilians attempting to return to their homes, unless they approach the troops in a manner classified as threatening.
The report further claims that without authorization from higher ranks, IDF troops are not permitted to conduct proactive actions such as detonating structures and infrastructure inside the southern Lebanon security zone.