Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir as he stands near the Israel-Gaza border in the southern kibbutz of Nahal Oz on April 20, 2018. (Credit: Thomas Coex/AFP)
BEIRUT — Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir urged his commanders to "return to training and improve preparedness for war on all fronts," in a video posted by the Israeli army on X Wednesday.
The army added that, "following the Chief of Staff’s directive, this week the 91st Division held an exercise to test readiness, fitness and force training in various scenarios, the division’s first full divisional exercise after two years of fighting."
The 91st Division, also known as the Galilee Division, falls under the army’s Northern Command and is the Israeli army’s main operational unit stationed along the Lebanese border.
The announcement comes as Israel continues large-scale military exercises along its northern border with Lebanon, particularly in the Galilee region and coastal areas. Meanwhile, Israeli drones have been flying at low altitude over Beirut and its southern suburbs almost continuously in recent days.
The Israeli army had began the maneuvers on Sunday evening, its Arabic-speaking spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, announced on his X account, and they are set to last until next Thursday.
“During these maneuvers, the army will train for multilateral cooperation in order to face various scenarios, including the protection of this area and responding to immediate security threats,” he wrote.
'Maneuvers on the southern border are cause for concern'
Earlier this week, U.S. Special Envoy for Syria and Lebanon, Tom Barrack, had warned that if the disarmament of Hezbollah continued to be delayed, Israel might relaunch its war on Lebanon.
In an interview with TeleLiban on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri expressed concern following those comments.
Mitri said he "feared an escalation in Israeli hostilities toward Lebanon, which could expand and take new forms." However, he rejected the idea of alarming the Lebanese public by suggesting that war is imminent.
"The Israeli military maneuvers on the southern border are cause for concern," he said.
"Moreover, the Israeli press has urged political leaders not to be satisfied with these maneuvers alone, but to move quickly to eliminate Hezbollah. I take that seriously, because it reflects sentiments from within the core of Israeli society."
He continued: “It is Lebanon’s duty to defend its rights through politics and diplomacy, and it is not in a position to defend itself by force of arms. Therefore we must sharpen our political and diplomatic work to defend our rights, and insist on implementing all the resolutions, most recently the cease-fire agreement, and demand its enforcement.”
The last conflict between Hezbollah and Israel officially ended on Nov. 27, 2024, after a yearlong of cross border fire, with the signing of a cease-fire agreement, but Israel continues to attack Lebanon daily, killing more than 320 people since the truce and destroying homes, buildings, infrastructure and construction equipment.
Israel targeted a moped Wednesday in Ain Qana (Nabatieh), killing Issa Qarbalai who it claimed was a member of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Unit. The party confirmed Qarbalai was a member, but did not specify his specific role within Hezbollah.
