The commander of the IDF's 36th Division, Brig. Gen. Yiftah Norkin, told reporters Sunday that the military is operationally ready to engage militants and enter the underground compound at the Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, but is being held back by a political directive. Norkin's remarks, reported by Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh (N13 / Army Radio), confirm that the constraint is a policy decision, not a military limitation.
The commander of the IDF's 36th Division, Brig. Gen. Yiftah Norkin, told reporters during a tour of the Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon on Sunday that the military is operationally prepared to engage militants and enter the underground tunnel complex where they are located, but is prevented from doing so by a political directive. The remarks, reported by Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh (N13 / Army Radio), provide the most explicit on-the-record confirmation yet from a senior field commander that the constraints on IDF operations in southern Lebanon are a matter of policy, not military readiness.
Norkin's statement adds a new layer to a debate that has been unfolding among Israeli commentators and former officials in recent weeks. As The Zioneer reported on June 21, soldiers along the 'Yellow Line' described a reality where engagement with suspected militants requires authorization at the highest levels. On June 22, The Zioneer reported that Tehran's push for a ceasefire was linked to the presence of Iranian officers trapped alongside Hezbollah commanders at the same Ali Taher underground headquarters. The ridge has been a focal point of the standoff: the IDF holds the above-ground compound, but Hezbollah operatives remain trapped in the tunnels beneath, with Israeli forces reportedly permitted to engage only those seen exiting or entering.
The political directive Norkin cited remains publicly undefined. The remarks are the first time a division commander has directly attributed the operational pause to a political-level decision, rather than to tactical considerations.
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