Disarming Hezbollah still ‘long-term objective,’ IDF says, after official said it wasn’t goal of current campaign

By Emanuel Fabian

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3 April 2026, 12:37 pm

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Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

Illiustration: Portraits of Hezbollah's late leaders Hassan Nasrallah, right, and his cousin, Hashem Safieddine, are seen as smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, March 30, 2026. (AP/Hassan Ammar)

After a military official said that the goal of disarming Hezbollah in the current ground offensive in southern Lebanon is unrealistic, the military clarifies in a statement that it is still committed to a long-term objective of disarming the terror group.

“We clarify that, as the chief of staff has said in the past, the IDF is committed to a long-term objective of disarming Hezbollah. This objective includes a wide range of efforts that will continue over time,” the IDF says.

“The current campaign is causing blows to Hezbollah and weakening it, and will advance the achievement of this objective over time,” the army adds.