In visit to southern Lebanon, Zamir says military, political echelon will meet goal of disarming Hezbollah

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says the ongoing ground offensive against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon will advance Israel’s goal of disarming the terror group, but that there also needs to be “moves led by the political echelon.”

“The IDF is inflicting severe, extensive… blows to the Hezbollah terror organization. This includes its operatives, command and control, terror infrastructure, military capabilities, weaponry, its financial capabilities, and more. Hezbollah has over 1,000 terrorists eliminated, and the number will continue to rise. The damage to Hezbollah will continue to intensify,” Zamir says during a visit to southern Lebanon today, according to remarks provided by the IDF.

Zamir says that the entire area south of the Litani River “has become a kill zone in which Northern Command forces and the Air Force are systematically striking Hezbollah operatives, until it is ensured that the entire area up to the Litani River is cleared and demilitarized of threats to Israel and northern residents.”

“Regarding the war objectives at this time in Lebanon, the IDF is establishing a forward defensive line to strengthen defense and push the threat away from northern communities. We will remain on this line as long as required,” he says on the IDF’s planned buffer zone.

Zamir says the IDF is working to “suppress and reduce” rocket fire from Lebanon, but “this will take time.”

“The objective of disarming Hezbollah is defined as a supreme goal; this is an ongoing objective that existed before the current campaign. The current campaign will advance it,” he says, adding that the military will advance this objective “based on the IDF’s operational achievements and through moves led by the political echelon.”