“Our forces control the key terrain above ground and the underground routes below it,” Zamir said.
By United with Israel Staff
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited the Beaufort Ridge in southern Lebanon on Sunday, where he toured a vast underground Hezbollah tunnel network and reaffirmed that Israel will continue operating inside Lebanon to eliminate threats and enforce the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
Zamir was accompanied by Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, 36th Division commander Brig. Gen. Yiftach Norkin, and other senior commanders. During the visit, he received an operational briefing, descended into the underground tunnel system discovered beneath the ridge, and met with troops operating in the area.
Describing Beaufort Ridge as a strategic stronghold saturated with terrorist infrastructure, Zamir said Hezbollah, with decades of Iranian funding and direction, had carved extensive underground facilities into the mountain to support command centers, combat operations, firing positions, and planned attacks against northern Israeli communities.
“Our forces control the key terrain above ground and these underground routes below it,” Zamir said.
He called on the Lebanese Armed Forces to fulfill their obligations under the recently signed agreement by clearing southern Lebanon of Hezbollah terrorists and their infrastructure.
“The Lebanese Army must implement its commitments under the historic agreement and act to cleanse the area of Hezbollah terrorists and terrorist infrastructure,” Zamir said. “The IDF will continue to act decisively to remove threats from Lebanese territory and is prepared to transition rapidly to offensive operations if the ceasefire is violated.”
The IDF chief stressed that Israeli operations in the Beaufort Ridge area and across southern Lebanon are being conducted in accordance with the agreement while ensuring the security of northern Israel.
“Our instructions are clear,” he said. “Any threat directed at our forces or our communities will be struck immediately and eliminated.”
Addressing soldiers from the 36th Division, Zamir praised their role in the campaign against Hezbollah, saying their offensive operations, including crossing the Litani River, helped force the agreement now in place.
“The military achievements you have accomplished have weakened Hezbollah,” he said. “It has been exhausted and defeated in every battle against our forces, and now it places its hopes in its Iranian patron to save it.”
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