'The work is not done,’ Netanyahu asserts the IDF will continue to target Hezbollah
"We have freedom of action to thwart immediate and emerging threats. We are attacking in the security zone and also north of the Litani River"
Addressing the IDF General Staff on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the Israeli military maintains total "freedom of action" to neutralize threats within Lebanon.
The Prime Minister outlined the strategic objectives of the ongoing campaign against Hezbollah, emphasizing that while significant milestones have been reached, the mission remains in progress.
Netanyahu specifically cited the destruction of the heavy rocket arrays that once threatened the entirety of Israel and the establishment of a northern security zone designed to block cross-border infiltrations.
He confirmed that military strikes are continuing across multiple layers of the theater, targeting Hezbollah infrastructure within the security zone and deep into territories north of the Litani River.
The Prime Minister indicated that this continued operational flexibility is a component of diplomatic understandings reached with the United States and the Lebanese government, intended to allow Israel to preempt both immediate and future security risks. He cautioned, however, against complacency, noting that the work is not yet finished.
According to Netanyahu, two primary threats remain at the forefront of the IDF’s operational focus: 122mm rockets and the persistent use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). He stated that Israel is currently deploying a combination of aggressive field operations and a "considerable technological effort" to mitigate these specific dangers.
The Prime Minister concluded his briefing by estimating that Hezbollah’s initial arsenal has been reduced to roughly 10%, asserting that neutralizing the remaining rocket and drone capabilities is the final hurdle toward the group’s disarmament. He maintained that resolving these two security issues is the essential prerequisite for stabilizing the northern border and facilitating movement on the political front.
The address took place against the backdrop of continued combat in the region, which saw an IDF soldier killed and several others wounded yesterday by a Hezbollah explosive device earlier in the day