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Saturday, June 20, 2026
IDF reportedly instructed by leaders to ‘hold its fire’ in southern Lebanon; military says it will continue to ‘remove any threat’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The Israeli military has been instructed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz to “hold its fire” in Lebanon, Channel 12 news reports.
The instruction comes following “coordination between the political echelon and the United States,” the network says, adding that the military will not withdraw from southern Lebanon.
Earlier, after launching strikes on Hezbollah in response to attacks on troops, the IDF said it was “committed to the ceasefire agreement in accordance with the directives of the political echelon and will continue to act to remove any threat to the State of Israel and IDF troops.”
Lebanese media have reported several Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon since the IDF’s announcement.
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