by Israel National News
After Katz claimed there are no restrictions on IDF operations in Lebanon, military correspondents presented a starkly different picture: 'The rules of engagement in Lebanon are putting IDF forces at risk.'
 |
| Defense Minister Israel Katz Chaim Goldberg/Flash90 |
After Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that there "have never been any restrictions" on IDF troops operating in Lebanon to eliminate threats, several prominent Israeli military journalists publicly challenged his remarks on Sunday, arguing that the operational reality on the ground tells a different story.
Kan News military correspondent Roy Sharon sharply criticized the minister's statement, calling it a "bluff that endangers IDF forces in southern Lebanon."
"Removing an immediate threat is never restricted, in any sector, for any armed soldier," Sharon wrote. "But opening fire solely to remove an immediate threat-which is what the IDF is currently permitted to do-is self-defense. That's a major restriction, and you cannot fight this way in enemy territory."
Galei Tzahal military correspondent Doron Kadosh painted an even harsher picture, arguing that the situation on the ground differs significantly from the one described by Katz.
"What the Defense Minister isn't telling you," Kadosh wrote, "is that in practice, IDF soldiers in Lebanon are forced to wait for a threat to reach them before they are allowed to eliminate it."
According to Kadosh, troops may kill a terrorist approaching their position or strike a rocket moments before launch, but they are not authorized to target command centers or infrastructure where future threats are being prepared.
"If the terrorist is sitting in a command center in Nabatieh or Tyre, that isn't considered 'removing threats.' If Hezbollah is currently manufacturing 1,000 new rockets in an underground facility in the Beqaa Valley, that also isn't considered 'removing threats,'" he wrote.
Kadosh accused the Defense Minister of presenting an "alternative reality," adding that "there are restrictions on the use of fire by IDF forces in Lebanon-fairly severe restrictions imposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz. That is the truth."
He further warned that "this situation is dangerous, and it must be stated plainly: the IDF's rules of engagement in Lebanon, imposed by the political echelon because of diplomatic constraints and American pressure, are putting IDF forces in southern Lebanon at risk. The warning signs are on the wall."
Political commentator Amit Segal also questioned Katz's statement, saying reports from soldiers serving along the "Yellow Line" do not match the Defense Minister's account.
"Soldiers on the Yellow Line describe a completely different reality," Segal wrote, "in which approval from the highest levels is required to act against terrorists observing them or against suspicious movements."
Israel National News
Source: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/428957
No comments:
Post a Comment