Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the IDF’s 36th Division on the northern border on Friday. He was accompanied by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai. On site, they were briefed on ongoing operations in Lebanon by Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo and division commander Brig. Gen. Yiftach Norkin.
Lions with fighting spirit
Netanyahu spoke directly with the brigade commanders who were in action at the time of the visit — and gave a clear interim assessment:
“Our forces have crossed the Litani. They have taken dominant positions. We are operating in Beirut, in the Bekaa Valley, across the entire width of the front — and we are delivering a crushing blow to Hezbollah.”
He stressed that this was not political rhetoric, but based on reports from fighters on the ground:
“The brigade commanders tell me, as do the soldiers, that Hezbollah is either eliminated or flees at every contact, in every encounter.”
The picture Netanyahu presented was that of an army moving forward — morally strong and operationally successful.
He also addressed the soldiers personally:
“I hear you — and I also hear the soldiers, some of whom are standing here behind me. There is an immense fighting spirit.”
He closed with an emotional appeal:
“I salute you. You are lions. You have commanders who are lions. Keep going, with great success, until the very end.”
Photo: Ma’ayan Toaf / GPO.
IDF on the advance
The prime minister’s words reflect the actual situation on the front. Shortly beforehand, the IDF had begun operations in the area of the Beaufort Ridge and Wadi al-Saluki, with the stated goal of removing direct threats to communities in northern Israel.
At the same time, extensive airstrikes are underway. More than 100 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley were struck in the preceding days. For the first time in almost a month, the Israeli Air Force also struck a Hezbollah official in the Dahiyeh district of Beirut.
Despite a ceasefire in place since April, the fighting has in practice expanded again. In parallel with Netanyahu’s troop visit, military representatives from both sides met in Washington for US-mediated stabilization talks — so far without any visible result.
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