IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir visited Northern Command on Sunday, approved plans for continued operations in the Security Zone, and called the framework with Lebanon a historic achievement. Separately, French and Italian leaders announced a push for a multinational peacekeeping force to replace UNIFIL when its mandate expires.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir approved plans for continued military operations in the Security Zone during a visit to Northern Command on Sunday (17:00 Jerusalem), describing the recent agreement with the Lebanese government as a historic achievement made possible by the IDF's operational strength. Zamir emphasized that the Northern Command is now the military's primary focus and that Israel is ready to resume offensive operations in Lebanon and Iran if needed. He noted that Hezbollah has been severely weakened, with many operatives confined underground, and that IDF forces maintain operational control of the Beaufort Ridge area. This approval marks the latest in a sequence of statements by Zamir on Sunday, beginning at 16:29 Jerusalem, when he first called the Lebanon deal historic and approved operational plans for the north, and by 16:29 had escalated to explicitly including Iran in readiness pledges. The thread also shows that by 17:00, Zamir had characterized the framework as historic and vowed full readiness to resume fighting — a line he reiterated in the current visit.
Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, speaking at the Antibes summit, announced plans to pursue a multinational peacekeeping coalition to replace UNIFIL after its mandate expires in December. Macron said the coalition would strengthen Lebanese sovereignty and prevent its territory from becoming a regional flashpoint. Meloni stressed the need to avoid a security vacuum. This is the first time the two leaders have publicly proposed a replacement for UNIFIL, adding a diplomatic dimension to the military developments reported earlier.
As The Zioneer reported on Sunday (17:00 Jerusalem), Zamir had earlier characterized the Lebanon deal as historic and vowed full readiness to resume fighting. The Security Zone arrangement was reaffirmed by Prime Minister Netanyahu and defense chiefs on June 23 (00:33 and 00:38 Jerusalem). The new statements add operational details and a timeline for a potential post-UNIFIL international force. The context also includes earlier reports of IDF high alert for Iranian missile fire (June 14, 16:16 Jerusalem) and Zamir's approval of battle plans for Lebanon (June 7, 21:18 Jerusalem), situating these announcements within a sustained readiness posture.
It remains unclear whether the proposed multinational force has secured broader international backing or a concrete timeline beyond UNIFIL's December mandate expiry. Zamir's operational plans include Iran, but no specific triggers for resumption of hostilities have been detailed.
11 developments
- DevelopingIDF chief makes first remarks on Lebanon framework, warns coming period will shape future
- StrongIDF chief visits southern Lebanon, says all military resources allocated for return to combat
- StrongNetanyahu, defense chiefs reaffirm IDF will maintain security zone in southern Lebanon
- DevelopingIDF Chief Zamir says Lebanon remains main center of gravity, as forces advance toward Nabatieh
Source and signal
- Internal intake