Netanyahu orders expansion of military operations in Lebanon

Tel Aviv — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that he has ordered the IDF to expand military operations into southern Lebanon and tighten control over areas held by Hezbollah.

“I have ordered the IDF to expand military operations in Lebanon. Our troops have crossed the Litani River. They have taken strategic areas. They have captured the Beaufort Castle region. And now, my order is to strengthen and expand our control over areas previously held by Hezbollah,” Netanyahu said in a statement.

Netanyahu expressed satisfaction with the capture of Beaufort Castle, a medieval fortress from the Crusades era, as a step and dramatic shift in his policy.

“We are taking the initiative, operating on all fronts—in Syria, Gaza, Lebanon; we have established security zones beyond our borders to protect our communities. It will take longer, but we will restore security for residents in the North, just as we have done for those in the South. It will take time, but we will complete this mission,” he said.