‘Israeli’ forces will remain in Lebanon: Chief of Staff

• Eyal Zamir said the Lebanese Armed Forces must remove Hezbollah operatives from southern border areas under the new framework agreement.
• Zamir said 'Israeli' forces will continue acting against threats originating from Lebanese territory.
• He added that troops remain on high alert and are prepared to launch a rapid offensive if the ceasefire is violated.

'Israeli' Military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said on Sunday, that the Lebanese Armed Forces are legally obligated to clear southern border sectors of Hezbollah operatives under the terms of a newly signed, US-brokered bilateral framework agreement.

The military command emphasized that the implementation of the historic June 26 accord hinges on Beirut executing its security mandates, warning that 'Israeli' forces maintain complete authorization to neutralize immediate cross-border threats independently if necessary.

Enforcing security parameters

Zamir's remarks follow the implementation of a fragile, de jure temporary ceasefire designed to transition the frontier away from four months of intense conflict.

Under the security annexes of the framework agreement, the Lebanese military is slated to gradually assume exclusive security oversight over designated pilot zones as 'Israeli' troops monitor compliance from established forward defense lines.

The 'Israeli' military chief reaffirmed that defense planners are not relying solely on third-party enforcement.

"We will continue operating decisively to remove threats to our forces and civilians originating from Lebanese soil," Zamir stated, confirming that 'Israeli' counter-threat tracking remains active.

Political volatility

The warning comes as 'Israeli' units remain heavily deployed along a unilaterally designated "Forward Defense" zone inside southern Lebanon.

Despite the cessation of major hostilities, commanders on the ground have instructed frontline assets to maintain an absolute state of operational readiness.

Zamir concluded by alerting regional actors that 'Israeli' forces are fully prepared to transition to a rapid, high-intensity offensive posture at a moment's notice should Hezbollah or aligned factions commit a material violation of the current ceasefire agreement.