A senior Israeli official said Saturday that Prime Minister Netanyahu has instructed the IDF to remain in southern Lebanon 'as long as necessary' and respond forcefully to any Hezbollah attack. The official added that over the past two days the IDF struck 300 Hezbollah targets and killed about 100 operatives. The Home Front Command said current defensive guidelines are unchanged until June 21.
A senior Israeli official said Saturday evening that the IDF struck roughly 300 Hezbollah targets and killed about 100 operatives over the past two days, as Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated that Israeli forces will remain in southern Lebanon as long as necessary to defend the northern border and will respond forcefully to any attack. The remarks, reported at 17:17 Thursday by The Zioneer and again this evening, mark the first time military figures of this scale have been attributed to the current phase of operations, which began after earlier statements by Netanyahu on June 14 and 15 rejecting any Lebanon clause in an emerging U.S.-Iran framework.
Earlier Thursday at 17:17, The Zioneer reported a senior official's initial statement that the PM had ordered the IDF to stay in the security zone and respond strongly, without the 300-target/100-operatives figures. By 20:09 Saturday, Netanyahu himself said Israel would maintain its presence 'as long as needed,' and a follow-up bulletin at 20:34 Saturday added the strike and kill numbers from the same senior official, now corroborated across successive dispatches. The Home Front Command said civil-defense guidelines remain unchanged through Sunday, June 21 at 20:00.
As The Zioneer reported on June 14 (20:52 Jerusalem), Netanyahu told President Trump that Israel is not bound by any Lebanon clause in a U.S.-Iran deal, and on June 15 (10:11 Jerusalem), a full article detailed Israel's rejection of that clause. On June 18 (10:17 Jerusalem), the Prime Minister again told Trump Israel will not withdraw from Lebanon. This security-first stance has been consistent, with Minister Miri Regev on June 14 stating Israel separates the Lebanon front from any Iran deal and will continue striking Hezbollah targets in Dahiyeh.
The figures — 300 targets and 100 operatives killed in two days — come from a single senior official. They have not been independently confirmed by the IDF or a second source, and the specific timeframe, types of targets, and operational zone were not detailed. The Home Front Command's unchanged guidelines suggest the security assessment has not yet triggered adjustments to civilian protections.
4 developments
- DevelopingNetanyahu: I ordered the IDF to strike 150 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
- StrongNetanyahu, Katz define Hezbollah attacks on IDF troops in southern Lebanon as ceasefire violations, ordering massive strikes
- StrongNetanyahu tells Trump southern Lebanon strikes 'light casualties' so far, expects Hezbollah to hold fire
- StrongNetanyahu: Israel will maintain security presence in southern Lebanon 'as long as needed'
Source and signal
- Internal intake