Zamir warns against Hezbollah entrenchment and accelerates combat robotics
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited the Northern Command and the 91st Division on Wednesday, holding a situational assessment, touring the Khiam area and meeting brigade commanders operating in the division’s sector.
He was accompanied by Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, Ground Forces commander Maj. Gen. Nadav Lotan, 91st Division commander Brig. Gen. Yuval Gaz and other senior commanders.
Zamir said the 91st Division serves as the forward defense line for northern residents, advancing a defensive posture ahead of their communities. Despite the changing operational situation, he said, the commitment remains to establish robust border defenses and protect residents.
“We will not allow Hezbollah to establish terrorist infrastructure in the area. Any attempt by the enemy to entrench itself, build up its capabilities, or threaten northern communities will be met immediately and forcefully.”
Zamir described Hezbollah as an Iranian proxy whose actions have harmed Lebanon and its citizens. He said the IDF remains alert to developments in nearby and distant arenas and is prepared to strike any enemy attempting to harm Israel.
He added that throughout three years of fighting, the Northern Command has struck Hezbollah and degraded many of its capabilities, and could expand those achievements if required.
The 769th Brigade and 869th Field Intelligence Battalion presented their “Combat Robotics Team” model for the first time. Zamir said the model places robotic and technological systems ahead of and alongside troops, improving operational effectiveness and force protection while reinforcing the principle that the IDF stands ahead of civilians.
Zamir ordered faster integration of robotic capabilities into combat units to strengthen operational superiority and battlefield advantage.
He praised cooperation between the Northern Command and Ground Forces, expressed appreciation for the 91st Division and troops operating in the area, and said their achievements would endure in the IDF’s legacy.
IDF confirms Qabrikha strike; Lebanon reports one killed and one wounded
Lebanon’s Health Ministry confirmed that one person was killed and another wounded in an Israeli drone strike targeting a motorcycle in Qabrikha, southern Lebanon, this afternoon.
Reports identified the man killed as Muhammad Nasser Yousef, a paramedic with the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement’s Risala Scouts.
The IDF subsequently confirmed striking two suspects who it said were observing Israeli soldiers near Qabrikha, outside the Security Zone in southern Lebanon. The military said the strike was conducted to remove a threat to soldiers operating inside the zone.
The strike was reported to be the first in Lebanon in weeks. Early Lebanese accounts gave differing casualty figures, including a Bint Jbeil report of two injured, before the Health Ministry confirmed one death and one injury.
