Netanyahu Orders Intensified Military Operations in Lebanon After Crossing Litani River

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the Israeli army's capture of the Shaqif Fortress in southern Lebanon signifies a “dramatic shift,” describing the return of Israeli forces to the site as part of a new phase in Israel's military strategy across Lebanon, Gaza, and Syria.

In a statement regarding the army's control over Shaqif Fortress, Netanyahu said Israel “returned to Shaqif today stronger than ever,” highlighting that Israeli forces have crossed the Litani River and seized strategic positions in Lebanon.

He characterized the takeover of Shaqif Fortress as an “additional stage” in Israeli policy, emphasizing that Israel is active on all fronts in Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon, and has established buffer zones, according to his remarks.

Netanyahu asserted that Israel has “broken the barrier of fear,” adding that the country is now taking initiative and operating on multiple fronts. He acknowledged that the operation requires more time but pledged to restore security to northern residents “just as we did for the southern residents,” he said.

Addressing the confrontation with Hezbollah, Netanyahu stated that the Israeli army has killed approximately 700 Hezbollah members in the past month, a figure for which no independent confirmation has been issued, aligning with the Israeli narrative of escalating military operations in southern Lebanon.

He also confirmed that he has “issued urgent instructions to the army to deepen its operations inside Lebanon.”

Netanyahu's statements followed Israel's announcement of expanding military operations in the Shaqif Heights and the Salouqi Valley, including the crossing of the Litani River and efforts to consolidate control over strategically important elevated sites in southern Lebanon.

Earlier in the day, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced that the Israeli army, led by the Golani Brigade, had returned to the summit of Shaqif Fortress and raised the Israeli and Golani flags there, 44 years after the brigade fought in the area during the 1982 Lebanon War. Katz framed this advance as both a military and symbolic message directed at Hezbollah and the Israeli public simultaneously.

Katz, speaking with a tone mixing celebration and escalation, noted that Israeli soldiers returned to the Shaqif summit on the anniversary of the “Galilee Peace” war casualties, including Golani Brigade soldiers who died in the Shaqif battle. He described raising the Israeli and Golani flags on the fortress as marking a “new chapter” at a site with a unique Israeli military legacy.

He added that, under the direction of Prime Minister Netanyahu, the Israeli army expanded its maneuver in Lebanon, crossed the Litani River, and took control of the Shaqif Heights, describing the location as one of the most important strategic points for defending Galilee settlements and protecting the security of Israeli forces.

Katz indicated that Israel lifted the publication ban that had been imposed on the operation, explaining that the ban was intended to prevent information from reaching the “enemy,” as he put it. He concluded by stating that the developments send a “clear message” to Israel's adversaries that anyone threatening its citizens will sequentially lose their strategic assets.