Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire: 'Borderline Disorder' - News Updates, Video, Views
So far, it ain't quite the "Peace Train, Holey Moley" you may have been expecting...
[This report will be updated as events dictate. Meanwhile, please feel free to share this post, subscribe, and help support my efforts to bring you accurate, sourced reporting, and close-up-and-personal slice-of-life scenes here in northern Israel and our Life on the Border - thank you for your consideration]
“On the map attached to the agreement, a new line is drawn, nicknamed the "2024 line", and it redefines the area where Hezbollah forces are forbidden to be - and where the Lebanese army will be required to act to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure that remains there. The main change in the line occurs in the Litani bend, an area where the river turns west, and is only about 3 kilometers from the border in the Galilee Panhandle.
”The new line deviates from the riverbed in order to include additional areas in Lebanese territory, thus preventing a threat by Hezbollah from these areas to the Israeli settlements. Besides the proximity of this area to the Israeli border, these are high and commanding areas (for example, the famous Beaufort Fort is located in them) and therefore it is essential that Hezbollah terrorists are not found there. (via the Israel Hayom newspaper, which had posted what it alleged is the full text of the ceasefire agreement.
Thursday noon briefs (via Doron Kadosh, Glz Army Radio):
“[11/28, 10:31]: Tank fire at suspects in the town of Wazni in southern Lebanon.
“[11/28, 10:32]: Artillery fire at the village of Aita al-Shaab.
“[11/28, 10:33]: Behind closed doors: Will the ceasefire collapse?”
Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese Al-Akhbar daily: “If Israel does not release Hezbollah prisoners, Hezbollah will act.” [see editorial below]
“[11/28, 10:36]: Correcting the mistakes from Gaza, not letting the buffoons reach the border and play games with the soldiers.
“[11/28, 10:39]: 2 Lebanese wounded in drone attack - which, as mentioned, was intended to distance the vehicle and prevent it from approaching the prohibited area, and not to eliminate the passengers.
“And now there are reports in Lebanon that an Israeli tank fired a shell at the town of Al-Wazani in southern Lebanon, probably also a rocket launcher.”
In a strident editorial published Thursday, Al-Akhbar asserted that:
“1- Any aggression that Israel carries out against an operative, or a senior official, or a facility belonging to Hezbollah in Lebanese territory will be met with a firm and direct response by Hezbollah without waiting for the results of the investigation by the "Complaints Committee". "Hezbollah will punish the enemy immediately because of the right to self-defense that exists in the agreement".
“2 - Hezbollah opposes any attempt by Israel, through the Americans or any other element in the international forces, to raid homes or private property in any area of Lebanon, south or north of the Litani River. ‘No Lebanese or international element has the right to approach private property without a legal order.’
“3 - Hezbollah will see the need to act to release its prisoners held by Israel if Israel decides not to release them as quickly as possible.” (via Ro’i Case, GLZ Army Radio)
Wednesday, AM: “So far, since the morning, IDF forces have killed a number of suspects who approached them in southern Lebanon, as well as wounded other suspects and arrested four Hezbollah terrorists.” (Doron Kadosh, Glz Army Radio)
IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari, Wednesday evening: “In the coming weeks, we will lay out the defense and security area. We killed terrorists today. The forces are deployed in various areas of southern Lebanon. Residents of South Lebanon - Please note: We are present and active in the area. Any armed operative will be thwarted or neutralized.
“Residents of Lebanon – we do what we say. We urge you not to approach the area. We will let you know when you can return to the area.
"Hezbollah is an Iranian asset that has been built up over years - the Iranian leadership has lost a strategic asset adjacent to our border.”
IDF Spokesperson Avichai Edrei in Arabic published a statement Thursday morning to the residents of Lebanon, in which he details the villages in southern Lebanon that they are forbidden to move beyond towards Israeli territory:
"The IDF does not want to open fire at you," the statement read, "and therefore at this stage, do not return to your homes south of this line. Anyone who moves south will expose himself to danger.”
"Urgent Notice to Lebanese Residents:
"Until further notice, you are prohibited from moving south to the line of the following villages and their surroundings, as well as within the villages themselves: Shebaa, Al-Habriya, Marjiun, Arnon, Yahmar, Al-Qantara, Shakra, Bereshit, Yater, Al-Mansouri.
"The IDF does not intend to direct you, and therefore you are prohibited at this stage from returning to your homes from this line to the south until further notice.
"Anyone moving south of this line exposes themselves to danger”
Shortly before the ceasefire went into effect on Tuesday, the IDF conducted a significant operation targeting Hezbollah’s most strategic missile production site in Lebanon, a statement read:
“IAF fighter jets, guided by the Intelligence Directorate, struck the 1.4-kilometer-long underground facility in Janta, located near the Syrian border in the Bekaa region. This site was crucial for producing surface-to-surface missiles, assembling weapon components, and storing precision-guided weapons intended for attacks on Israel.
“The site also served as a key smuggling hub for weapons and operatives between Syria and Lebanon. In the hours leading up to the main strike, the IDF executed additional operations in the area, targeting Hezbollah operatives and dismantling surrounding infrastructure. One such strike hit a compound used by Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces for training under the “Conquer the Galilee” plan.
“Over the past decade, with Iranian support, Hezbollah significantly expanded its missile production capabilities. The Janta site became the centerpiece of this effort, involving direct collaboration between Iranian operatives and Hezbollah terrorists. The strike dealt a critical blow to Hezbollah’s precision-guided missile production capabilities, with intelligence gathered over years enabling the operation's success. This marked a pivotal moment in the ongoing conflict, severely weakening Hezbollah’s arsenal.”
IDF jets on Thursday struck what it said was a Hezbollah medium-range rocket storage area in southern Lebanon, near Sidon north of Litani river—the northernmost area where Israeli ground forces are deployed, according to the terms of the ceasefire deal:
The Spokesman said that “terrorist activity was identified in a facility used by Hezbollah to store mid-range rockets in southern Lebanon. The threat was thwarted by an IAF aircraft.
“The IDF remains in southern Lebanon and acting to enforce violations of the ceasefire agreement.”
Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar said today that Israel “…will not allow Hezbollah to advance south from the Litani River. We will not allow Hezbollah to rearm, build its power and pose a threat to Israel once again. We learned a lesson from October 7, and the Israeli government is determined to prevent the incident from happening again in the future.”
The IDF, acccording to its estimates, “has killed some 3,500 Hezbollah operatives in the past 14 months of fighting, the majority during the ground offensive in southern Lebanon which was launched in late September.
“According to the military's estimates, there are at least double that number of seriously and moderately wounded -- some 7,000 -- who are unable to fight.
“Hezbollah is seen by the IDF as significantly weakened, but not destroyed, as it still maintains about half of its basic capabilities, according to the military.
“The IDF now says it is working to "aggressively" enforce the ceasefire and prevent Hezbollah from re-arming and establishing infrastructure in southern Lebanon.” (via Mannie’s War Room)
And, finally, a personal take by one Israeli civilian:
Shayna Rehberg-Paquin, seen above, serves as the liaison between the Tzfat Municipality and the city's native English-speaking community and is a member of the city's Community Resilience Team. She adds on her FB page: “Side note: I noticed the "displaced" title only after the interview. The whole time we talked about going back to normal life, and then at the very end she added: back home. Obviously we're still at home in Tzfat, not evacuated, but hopeful for a "normal" life without rockets and threat of invasion...someday.”
Her voice is one of many Israelis coping with spouses, children, parents, relatives, and friends in uniform and in fighting since the beginning of the war—and some who struggle with day-to-day traumatic wartime experiences, including bereavement, war-related injuries, and trauma, economic stresses, and physical dislocation. I serve in a similar capacity to Shayna in our nearby village and feel similarly about the complex and quickly evolving threat matrix we're facing in northern Israel.
This report will be updated as events dictate. Meanwhile, please feel free to share this post, subscribe, and help support my efforts to bring you accurate, sourced reporting, and close-up-and-personal slice-of-life scenes here in northern Israel and our Life on the Border - thank you for your consideration:
Join the Journey - Subscribe for Unfiltered Narratives & Timeless Photography: Substack’s Stripe payment system isn’t available in Israel, so I’ve arranged an alternative for you to support my work. If you’re feeling generous, you can donate via PayPal.
My articles will remain accessible to everyone, but if you choose to contribute, know that it helps me keep doing what I love—bringing these stories to life. Your support means the world to me.
Keep the stories alive with your support, and let’s keep brewing the narrative together. Until next time, stay curious and connected.
Warm regards,
David Bender
Thanks for reading Davidbrianbender.com! This post is public so feel free to share it:
The term 'holey moley' may be appreciated by those those who have attained a certain age! 😁
Good news re missile production attack. Tzfat - how many times did that name show up on Tzofar. Blessings and thanks-giving to all you folks "up north" who serve your communities.