An unnamed Israeli security source told Walla that the IDF is concerned about the possibility of soldiers being captured in Kfar Tebnit, Lebanon, and used as bargaining chips for Hezbollah members trapped in tunnels. Troops have been instructed to move in pairs or groups of three. Separately, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected claims Israel violates Lebanese sovereignty, arguing Hezbollah and Iran are the real violators.
An Israeli security source told Walla on Wednesday that the IDF assesses a growing risk of soldiers being abducted in the village of Kfar Tebnit, southern Lebanon, and used in a potential prisoner exchange for Hezbollah operatives still besieged in underground tunnels. The source said troops have been instructed to adopt a buddy-system protocol—moving in pairs or groups of three—to reduce vulnerability.
An IDF officer cited in the same report described a gap between political statements and field conditions: "The field reality is completely different from Netanyahu and Katz's statements regarding full freedom of operation in Lebanon," the officer said, reflecting ongoing friction between Israel's political echelon and military command over the southern Lebanon deployment.
Separately, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected international accusations that Israel is violating Lebanese sovereignty. "Hezbollah and Iran are breaching Lebanon's sovereignty. Lebanon is under Iranian occupation," Saar said, reiterating the government's position that Israeli operations are defensive. The warnings come as The Zioneer has reported intensifying U.S. pressure for an IDF withdrawal from southern Lebanon linked to the emerging U.S.-Iran memorandum.
- DevelopingHezbollah claims heavy, ongoing clashes with IDF at Kfar Tebnit in southern Lebanon
- DevelopingJournalist Yosef Haddad warns of wounded Israeli troops in south Lebanon, calls for decisive response
- DevelopingSenior security source: Israel expanded overnight, captured Tibnit in southern Lebanon
- DevelopingIDF 3 km from strategic objective in Lebanon, sources say Hezbollah 'sends novices'
Source and signal
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