Illustrative image. (Israeli Defense Forces)
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) revealed on April 17 that it carried out a special operation in southern Lebanon during which troops seized control of a strategic ridge right before the ceasefire with Hezbollah entered into effect.
The ten-day ceasefire was announced by United States President Donald Trump a day earlier. It entered into effect right at midnight local time.
In a statement, the IDF said that the Israeli Air Force’s elite Shaldag unit landed at the so-called Cristofani Ridge, some 12 kilometers north of Mount Hermon, and established control in the area.
Shaldag, officially known as Unit 5101, is part of the 7th Special Air Forces Wing and is based in the Palmachim Air Base to the south of the city of Tel Aviv. It specializes in clandestine operation, combat search and rescue, commando style raids, hostage rescue, irregular warfare, long-range penetration, military intelligence operations, special operations, and special reconnaissance within enemy territory.
The unit landed in the area just minutes before the ceasefire took effect, according to the IDF. The operation was approved by Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who observed the operation alongside IAF chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar at the IAF’s command center.
The Cristofani Ridge overlooks both southern Lebanon and the eastern governorate of Beqaa, which gives the IDF the fire control over most Hezbollah strongholds in both regions.
Click to see full-size image. (Israeli Defense Forces)
Since the start of the ceasefire, there have been several reports of violations by the IDF. Lebanese media even said that one man was killed in an Israeli drone strike targeting a motorcycle between the southern towns of Kounine and Beit Yahoun.
There is no immediate comment from the IDF on the incident, minutes after U.S. President Donald Trump declared that Israel was “PROHIBITED” from bombing Lebanon.
“This deal [with Iran] is in no way subject to Lebanon, either, but the USA will, separately, work with Lebanon, and deal with the Hezboolah situation in an appropriate manner. Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the USA. Enough is enough,” he added.
The terms of the ceasefire do allow Israel to carry out defensive strikes against “planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks.” Hezbollah also gets to conduct such operations.
The group welcomed the ceasefire, but warned that it is keeping its “finger on the trigger” in the event of violations by the Israel.
“The mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance carried out an average of 49 operations daily. Despite its intelligence apparatus and brutal firepower, the Israeli killing machine could not deter them from rising up and continuing their national, humanitarian, and religious duty to protect and defend their homeland and people,” Hezbollah said in a statement.
“These mujahideen will remain vigilant, ready to defend themselves against the enemy’s treachery and betrayal. Their pledge to the Secretary-General of the Resistance, Qassem, and to its honorable, proud, and sacrificing people, is that they will remain true to their covenant until their last breath, and their banner will never fall,” it added.
The ceasefire will likely hold up, even if Israel carried out more violations. Nevertheless, there are no guarantees that will be extended after ten days.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun are set to travel soon to the U.S. to meet with Trump. The U.S. is pressuring towards a full-on peace deal, but such a move could be very costly for the Lebanese government, as many in the country from all sides oppose normalization.
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this weekend israel will continue to raipe iran just like we did during ramadan. jejeje
israel can’t fight that’s her problem. low ranking european colonial military force.
beggars belief don’t you.
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but they celebrated eid at windsor with charles who forgot it was easter apparently.
i’d give the israelis 2 days against the ukrainians. they have the material support of the us and most of western europe but struggle against guerilla forces. if they were contiguous to iran i would give them one day.
iran has 25 million volunteers registered for military service
wars are won in boardrooms not in battlefields of human sacrifice that’s culling.
they attack lebanon *exactly* to stay away from iran
this seems so typical of israel. never following laws and agreements. any possible loop hole must be attempted. i am sure israel is following all un mandated laws mandating welfare responsibilities for the residents of gaza.
who made the un king? why should israel a sovereign nation ( allegedly) just a leasehold from england imo, have to allow other foreign nations to interfere as magyar describes it, in their business? who at the un decided that the pope should have the only permanent free guest seat as the authority for rule of law? who???????
there is no such place as “lebanon”…this is jewish land that squatters are currently occupying…time to evict them!
heheheh
let’s turn the tables. zionists are a cancer and parasite on this planet. time to eradicate them…
come and try it coward!
heheheh
they are inbred. haven’t you noticed from the underground shelter yet ?
nazionalism is italian
preplanned maximizing every circumstance
you should dig a lot deeper down the rabbit hole alice superficiality doesn’t become you.
can’t win when you deal with lier cheater thief murder with now morals
these shitraeli pigs are going to be fighting guerilla war forever. ceasefire, grab land, ceasefire, grab land, ceasefire…
arrest lebanon’s president joseph aoun for crimes against lebanon trained in usa