The state's military apparatus continued its territorial expansion in southern Lebanon, seizing a key ridge minutes before a US-brokered ceasefire was to begin, while frontline officers remained uninformed of the declared halt in hostilities. IDF officers stationed in southern Lebanon reported they learned of the ceasefire only through foreign media reports and Telegram posts, not official channels.
One officer stated, "We were not updated regarding the cessation of hostilities," highlighting the disconnect between political declarations and military operations on the ground. This officer further described the situation as "the most dangerous hours for us," as soldiers were left to "keep the soldiers alert and on standby" without clear directives, a task deemed "no simple task."
The same officer also noted that the units still had "many tasks and work here that we were supposed to complete," indicating ongoing military objectives despite the announced ceasefire.
Occupation Continues Under Guise of Peace
The IDF's official position, according to an N12 report, is that the military will continue to hold captured Lebanese territory. This commitment to maintaining control over occupied land was reinforced by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, who approved operational plans to deepen Lebanon operations if needed.
Currently, five IDF divisions are operating in southern Lebanon, awaiting orders on how to proceed amidst the ceasefire. This continued large-scale military presence underscores the state's intent to maintain its imperial garrison in the region.
Minutes before the ceasefire came into effect on Thursday night, the IDF announced it had taken control of a key ridge in southern Lebanon. This strategic maneuver occurred on the same day the ceasefire was announced.
Soldiers from an elite unit were deployed by parachute onto the "Christophani Ridge" to establish and maintain an operational presence in the area, ensuring continued territorial control before the halt in fighting was to begin.
The State's True Intentions
The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was announced by US President Donald Trump on Thursday and officially began at midnight Israel time on the night between Thursday and Friday. Trump declared in a Truth Social post that "Both sides want to see peace, and I believe that will happen, quickly!"
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed this sentiment, hailing the ceasefire as "an opportunity to make a historic peace agreement with Lebanon." Netanyahu asserted that Israel had "changed the balance of security" through its actions.
Netanyahu further stated that Israel would maintain a security buffer, extending 10 kilometers into southern Lebanon, for the duration of the ceasefire. This buffer is presented as a measure to deter the threat posed by Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah, effectively formalizing a continued occupation under the guise of security.
The discrepancy between a declared "historic peace agreement" and the simultaneous expansion of territorial control, coupled with the lack of communication to frontline soldiers, reveals the true nature of such state-managed ceasefires: not as genuine steps towards peace, but as strategic maneuvers to consolidate and extend power.