A heated exchange took place during an Israeli cabinet meeting on Thursday evening after several ministers said they had received phone calls from soldiers claiming that their operations in southern Lebanon were being restricted.
Minister Orit Strock said the soldiers felt “like sitting ducks at a shooting range,” while Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf added that “the soldiers are not allowed to respond beyond the Yellow Line.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz rejected those claims, telling ministers that “there are no restrictions on the soldiers’ operational freedom.”
“There are advantages and disadvantages to the ceasefire, but we are not putting any soldier at risk,” Katz said. Netanyahu added, “Whenever there is an immediate threat on the ground, our soldiers respond.”
Responding to the ministers’ complaints, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said: “It was the political leadership that requested the ceasefire. If the directives change, we will act accordingly.”
Washington talks focus on southern Lebanon
Meanwhile, in Washington, talks between Israel and Lebanon are set to continue on Friday on a pilot initiative under which the Lebanese Armed Forces would enter designated areas in southern Lebanon and begin removing Hezbollah’s presence.
“There is a positive atmosphere in Washington. No agreements have been reached yet, but the expectation is that they will be,” a source familiar with the negotiations told The Jerusalem Post.
The main point of contention is the location of the pilot project. Israel initially opposed conducting it along the Yellow Line – the current operational line in southern Lebanon held by IDF forces.
However, current assessments suggest Israel may carry out a limited withdrawal from a specific section, allowing the Lebanese army to enter with US support and demilitarize the area. The pilot is also expected to include additional areas in southern Lebanon where the IDF is not currently deployed.
