An Israeli military spokesman announced that the Israeli army has approved a training program for this year, focusing on increasing the air force's readiness for war on the northern front. In this context, the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" reported the spokesman saying that "the depths of Lebanon are turning into a war zone, and Hezbollah has begun to take risks." He noted that "so far, the conditions have not been met for an agreement with Hezbollah," pointing out that "a prisoner exchange deal in Gaza might also contribute to reaching an agreement with Lebanon." He indicated that "in the past two days, we monitored the launch of 110 rockets from Lebanon towards Israel."
For his part, the spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichai Adraee, wrote in a post on his account on the "X" platform: "A completion course for battalion, brigade, and division leaders at the Northern Command headquarters to enhance readiness and refine offensive plans." He added, quoting "the Northern Command chief: We are attacking Hezbollah with extreme force, and we will continue to follow an offensive approach to change the security situation in the northern region so that the residents can safely return to the northern area."
Adraee continued, "A leadership training course was held this week at the Northern Command, focusing on the readiness for the northern front at the Northern Command headquarters, chaired by the Northern Command chief, with the participation of division leaders, brigade leaders, and regular and reserve battalion commanders involved in defense battles on the northern border." He noted that "as part of the course, the leaders closely examined professional content and operational and strategic plans for the combat scenario on the northern front."
During the course, the Chief of Staff, General Herzi Halevi, presented strategic challenges and preparations for the upcoming phases of the war. Adraee added, quoting the Northern Command chief: "We have witnessed a war for nearly half a year, and it is not limited to Hezbollah. Last night, we operated against the Islamic group through a successful thwarting operation targeting a large number of elements, where Hezbollah decided this morning to respond by targeting Kiryat Shmona."
He affirmed, "We are executing highly qualitative attacks against Hezbollah, and we will continue to follow an offensive approach to continue striking and pressuring Hezbollah, inflicting heavy losses upon it. We are determined to change the security situation in the northern region so that residents can return to the northern area safely and with a sense of security. On the other hand, we are attacking Hezbollah with extreme force, as well as targeting the organizational structure of Hezbollah, and we are delivering numerous strikes in the area where they operate. If we determine that action is necessary, we will act again tonight because we are prepared."
