TEL AVIV, March 3. /TASS/. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has been authorized to advance in southern Lebanon and take control of more positions there, according to the defense chief of the Jewish state, Israel Katz.
"To prevent the possibility of direct fire at Israeli communities, [Israeli] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have authorized the IDF to advance and hold additional dominant terrain in Lebanon and defend the border communities from there," Katz said.
The Israeli army "continues to operate forcefully," attacking targets of the Shia movement in Lebanon, the defense minister emphasized. Israel would need control over commanding heights in southern Lebanon to "prevent direct fire against Israeli border communities," he explained. "We promised security for the Galilee communities, and that is what we will deliver," Katz noted.
On Sunday night, the north of Israel came under a shelling attack from Lebanese territory. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that it had launched rockets on Israeli territory in response to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Following Hezbollah’s rocket attack, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) began to deliver massive air strikes on Lebanese territory.
On March 2, Chief of the Israeli General Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir announced an "offensive campaign" against the Shia group Hezbollah that he said could be days-long.