Israeli chief of staff Eyal Zamir: “The war in Lebanon is not over” — operations will continue “deep inside” Lebanon

The Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli military, Eyal Zamir, has said Israeli forces will continue operating “deep inside” Lebanon, stressing that the war there “is not over.” The remarks came during a visit he made to Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, Al Jazeera reports.

Zamir said the Israeli military has made significant progress in weakening Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. According to him, Israel “will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its forces, restore its capabilities or pose a threat to the residents of the north and the State of Israel.”

The statement comes at a moment of escalation on the Lebanese front, where just this week Israeli artillery struck several areas in southern Lebanon, including al-Mansouri, Beit Yahoun and Aita al-Jabal, while fires broke out in forested areas following the shelling.

Israel has stepped up operations in Lebanon in parallel with the U.S. war against Iran, arguing it is preventing the rebuilding of the military capacities of Hezbollah, Tehran’s main ally in the region.

Source: Al Jazeera