Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz visited Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops in southern Lebanon on December 22. He said that Israel had defanged Hezbollah, comparing the Iranian-backed organization to a snake. Katz also stated that if the terrorist group does not remain beyond the Litani River or violates the current ceasefire, Israel would crush the organization.
The comments come almost one month into the ceasefire in Lebanon. Israel began its Northern Arrows operation against Hezbollah on September 23. Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire on November 27, an agreement that is supposed to bring Lebanese troops into southern Lebanon as the IDF leaves within 60 days. Thus, Katz’s visit comes as Israel is preparing for the next phase in Lebanon. The IDF spent the first weeks of the ceasefire continuing to dismantle Hezbollah sites and searching for more munitions stockpiles.
Katz visited the IDF’s 91st Division and met with its commander, Brigadier General Shai Klapper. The defense minister’s office said in a statement that the 91st Division is overseeing security arrangements “in preparation for the next stages of implementing the ceasefire agreement.” The 91st Division is responsible for defending Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. The IDF said last week that the 98th Division, which had been active in Lebanon, was withdrawing for possible operations in Gaza. It appears the other Israeli divisions that operated in Lebanon will also begin to redeploy.
Among those Katz met with were Colonel Or Volozinsky, commander of the IDF’s 188th Armored Brigade, and several battalion commanders. The IDF said that the 188th continues to carry out operations in southern Lebanon, searching for weapons.
“During their operations, the brigade’s combat engineering soldiers located a combat compound containing eight weapon storage facilities both above and below ground, connected by an underground infrastructure. In the compound, the troops located communication and electrical equipment, anti-tank missiles, explosives, and computers,” the IDF said on December 22. “The soldiers dismantled the compound and confiscated the weapons that were located. Additionally, the soldiers located a firing position aimed toward northern Israeli communities, which contained a weapons storage facility.”
Katz spoke to the troops during his trip to Lebanon. “I came here to the IDF outpost, which overlooks the Shiite villages of Maron a-Ras and Yaron, which posed a major threat to the Galilee communities, to make sure up close that the IDF’s achievements in Lebanon will be maintained,” Katz said. “We will not allow Hezbollah operatives to return to the villages of the south and re-establish the terror infrastructure that will pose a threat to the northern communities, and we will ensure the IDF’s ability to continue to fully enforce the reality on the ground.”
Katz said Hezbollah would need to withdraw beyond the Litani River, referring to terms of the ceasefire agreement and a previous UN Resolution. “Lebanon’s official military and security forces, infrastructure, and weaponry will be the only armed groups, arms, and related materiel deployed in the southern Litani area,” the ceasefire agreement said.
“We will ensure the removal of the threat and the restoration of security to allow the residents of the north to return safely to their homes,” Katz said.
