IDF officers stationed in southern Lebanon said they were not informed about the ceasefire and only found out via foreign media reports and Telegram posts, raising serious questions about military communication protocols during critical security transitions, according to an N12 report on Friday.
One of the officers said, "We were not updated regarding the cessation of hostilities," and added, "These are the most dangerous hours for us. We are trying to keep the soldiers alert and on standby, and this is no simple task." The officer also said, "We still have many tasks and work here that we were supposed to complete."
Communication Breakdown Endangers Personnel
The revelation that frontline personnel learned of a major ceasefire through social media and foreign news outlets rather than official military channels highlights a potentially dangerous gap in command structure. Five IDF divisions are operating in southern Lebanon and are currently awaiting orders on how to proceed amid the ceasefire, N12 reported. The lack of timely official communication left soldiers in a precarious position during what officers described as "the most dangerous hours" of a military transition.
According to N12, the IDF's position is that the military will continue to hold captured Lebanese territory, with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir approving operational plans to deepen Lebanon operations if needed. Earlier on Friday, the IDF announced that it had taken control of a key ridge in southern Lebanon on Thursday night, minutes before the ceasefire came into effect. Soldiers from an elite unit parachuted onto the "Christophani Ridge" to maintain an operational presence in the area before the halt in fighting, the military said.
Political Leadership Announces Ceasefire
A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was announced by US President Donald Trump on Thursday and began at midnight Israel time on the night between Thursday and Friday. Trump said in a Truth Social post, "Both sides want to see peace, and I believe that will happen, quickly!" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the ceasefire as "an opportunity to make a historic peace agreement with Lebanon."
Netanyahu said, "We have changed the balance of security," and added that Israel will maintain a security buffer, stretching 10 kilometers into southern Lebanon, for the duration of the ceasefire in order to deter the threat posed by Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.
Why This Matters:
The failure to inform frontline troops about a ceasefire through official military channels before they learned about it from foreign media and social media posts represents a serious breakdown in command accountability that directly endangered personnel safety. When soldiers on the ground describe the hours following a ceasefire announcement as "the most dangerous" while simultaneously trying to keep troops alert without clear official guidance, it reveals institutional failures that put service members at unnecessary risk. The incident raises fundamental questions about whether military leadership prioritized political messaging over the safety and operational readiness of those serving in active combat zones. Ensuring that those who bear the burden of military operations receive timely, official information about life-and-death decisions is not merely a matter of protocol but of basic institutional responsibility to those in harm's way.