IDF ‘ready and preparing for next stage’ in fighting Hezbollah, says IDF chief amid reports of mediation progress

Israeli military forces are “ready and preparing for the next stage in Lebanon,” said IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi on Sunday evening.

A Lebanese newspaper reported that a diplomatic arrangement between Israel and Lebanon was closer than ever.

The chief of staff spoke shortly after the IDF's 5th and 769th Brigades conducted training exercises to prepare for a possible all-out war against Hezbollah.

“We are in high-intensity combat in the north. Along with increasing achievements in degrading Hezbollah, we do not forget for a moment the plight of the residents of the north in the last nine months; We grieve at all times for the dead and injured from Hezbollah attacks,” Halevi said following the death of an IDF soldier and four others who were wounded by Hezbollah strikes.

“In the last few days, I was in one of the communities close to the border, of course not for the first time. I saw the damage, I met with the leadership there, I heard difficult things from them,” Halevi said, before emphasizing the army’s determination to restore security to northern Israel.

בנוסף, השבוע התקיים תרגיל פתע של גדוד מילואים 920 מחטיבה 769, בו חיזקו כוחות המילואים את מוכנותם לתרחישי לחימה שונים בהגנה על יישובי הצפון תוך התקפה על האויב pic.twitter.com/SjpYupMePL

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) July 14, 2024

The past 24 hours have seen a relative lull in attacks against Israel, despite fears that the strike targeting Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif could result in retaliatory attacks by Hezbollah and other hostile actors.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for four attacks on Israel's northern communities in the past day with the use of heavy Burkan-type rockets and suicide drones.

The IDF announced it intercepted two launches from Lebanon on Monday afternoon. The strikes didn’t cause injuries or serious damage.

Meanwhile, Lebanese newspaper al-Diyar reported Sunday that U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein, who has been spearheading U.S. mediation efforts for a hostage release deal, is getting close to an agreement between Lebanon and Israel.

However, because the fighting has been conducted by the Hezbollah terror group, which is the most powerful armed group in the country, it’s not clear whether the terror group would agree to any deal mediated by the government.

French officials told al-Diyar that Israel and Lebanese officials are almost in agreement, according to Hochstein, who added that some core issues remain unresolved, including the question of whether Hezbollah will vacate the border areas and pull its troops back a certain number of kilometers, as Israel has demanded as part of UN resolution 1701.

In addition, agreements have been reached regarding seven of the 13 outstanding border disputes, not including the area of Shebaa Farms and Rosh Hanikra.

Agreed points reportedly include preventing Hezbollah from establishing observation towers along the border and increasing the presence of the government’s U.S.-financed regular armed forces, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).

מוקדם יותר היום זוהו מספר מחבלים נכנסים לשני מבנים של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב מיס אל ג׳בל.

מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר השמידו את שני המבנים בהם שהו המחבלים.

בנוסף, צה"ל תקף בירי ארטילרי להסרת איום במרחב אל עדייסא>> pic.twitter.com/wWbrWSUEo5

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) July 15, 2024

The IDF continued targeting Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon on Monday, including two buildings in Mais al-Jabal that were struck after Israeli soldiers spotted terrorists congregating there.

On Monday evening, Arab media outlets reported that an alleged Israeli strike killed a Syrian businessman who was seen as closely affiliated with the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

According to unconfirmed reports, the strike reportedly targeted a car traveling on the Damascus-Beirut Highway west of the Syrian capital Damascus and close to the Lebanese border.

The target was identified as Muhammad Baraa al-Katarji, who reportedly owns companies used to finance Iranian-backed militia forces, including Hezbollah, through money laundering, according to Israeli Army Radio.

The reported strike follows two rare publicly acknowledged Israeli strikes on Syrian army targets in recent days.