IDF chief meets northern municipal heads: Ready for any scenario in the north

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi meets with heads of the municipalities in northern Israel, telling them the military is ready for any scenario along the Lebanese border.

“We made a difficult decision to evacuate the residents in the north, and I am full of appreciation for the way you showed resilience and patience, and allowed us to fight,” says Halevi.

Halevi says the return of evacuated residents will be coordinated with local authorities “on the understanding that we will not be able to return to the situation that existed here before the war.”

“For the past eight weeks, IDF fighters and their commanders have been fighting with determination and defending our home. We will continue to fight and are ready for developments in other arenas, including in the north,” he says.

There have been repeated clashes along the border between Israel and Hezbollah and Palestinian groups in the area, but the frontier has been largely quiet since a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect in Gaza on Friday.