Response to Hezbollah Violation, Without 'Collapsing the Agreement': 'No One Is Standing Over Us with a Stopwatch'
A day after Hezbollah violated the ceasefire with an explosive drone that struck an IDF engineering vehicle in southern Lebanon, Israel has yet to decide on the nature of its response. Security sources clarify that there will be a response, but the timing will be chosen based on operational and political considerations, in coordination with the US. The assessment is that there is no desire to collapse the agreement at this stage.
A day after the most severe ceasefire violation since it came into effect, in which a Hezbollah explosive drone struck an IDF engineering vehicle in the Ali Taher ridge area in southern Lebanon, Israel has yet to formulate a response. The Prime Minister and Defense Minister did not address the incident. Security sources clarify that there will be a response, but the timing will be chosen based on operational and political considerations, in coordination with the American mechanism for reviewing events. The assessment is that there is no desire to collapse the entire agreement, particularly the pilot for deploying the Lebanese army in the villages, which will be reviewed in about two to three weeks. The IDF has a wide range of response options, from an attack in Beirut or Baalbek (less likely) to destroying terrorist infrastructure. Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir visited southern Lebanon and emphasized readiness for any scenario, hinting at the possibility of a return to fighting.