IDF Restricts Lebanon Troops to Defensive Fire Only After New Directive

Q: As ground troops adopt a defensive stance, who is escalating Israel's air war over Lebanon?

Israel’s air war over Lebanon is being escalated by Israel’s political and military leadership, even as ground troops in southern Lebanon say they have been confined to a largely defensive posture. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly signaled the tougher line, vowing to intensify strikes on Hezbollah despite ceasefire efforts. Defense Minister Israel Katz has also backed broader attacks, while IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has approved continued operations and, according to the reporting, supported expanding strikes on Hezbollah targets, including drone infrastructure and senior operatives. In practice, that escalation is being carried out by the Israeli Air Force and the wider IDF. Recent operations cited in the reporting include more than 100 strikes overnight, attacks that killed dozens, and a large coordinated wave hitting roughly 100 Hezbollah targets across Beirut, the Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon. Israeli officials say the aim is to push Hezbollah’s drone and rocket capabilities farther from the border and respond to continued Hezbollah fire during the ceasefire. That creates the contrast at the heart of the story: reservists on the ground describe themselves as restricted to self-defense, unable to maneuver freely or press the campaign, while Israel’s leadership is relying more heavily on airpower to keep up pressure on Hezbollah.

3 articles · Updated · Ynetnews · Jun 22

Saturday orders to IDF commanders in Lebanon now allow troops to fire only against an immediate threat unless Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir gives explicit approval.
The directive also bars warning shots at civilians returning to southern Lebanon unless they approach too closely, and halts home and infrastructure demolitions in the security zone without Zamir’s authorization.
Israeli officials said the shift followed a government decision to halt fighting, after a tank disaster and as the United States again announced a ceasefire.
Reservists interviewed by ynet said the rules have left units largely guarding compounds under Hezbollah drone threat, with some saying they feel they are securing positions rather than pushing the group back.
The restrictions sharpen uncertainty over whether Israel will keep a buffer presence in southern Lebanon or pull back, even as Netanyahu said forces still have freedom to thwart threats.