Israel’s military chief and the head of the country’s security service on Thursday vowed that the fighting in southern Lebanon will continue until Israeli citizens can return to their homes along the border without fear of being targeted by Hezbollah terrorists.

Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, commander of the Israel Defense Forces, and Ronen Bar, director of Shin Bet, were in Lebanon for briefings by top IDF Northern Command leaders. 

Israel has four army divisions inside Lebanon as part of the IDF mission to dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure along the border, including weapons caches, firing positions, and command and control sites, IDF officials said.

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“We continue to operate against the enemy and will not stop until we ensure that we can safely return the residents, not just now, but with a future outlook,” Gen. Halevi said, according to the IDF’s Telegram social messaging site. “If anyone considers rebuilding these villages again, they will know it’s not worth constructing terrorist infrastructure because the IDF will neutralize them again.”

Mr. Bar said Israel can’t protect its residents against terrorists with “shopping mall security guards” nor defend against rockets by only building shelters. 

“The solution must be found in the terrorists’ nests and production lines. Therefore, on a peaceful border, defense is on one side; on a wartime border, defense must be on both sides of the border with freedom of action,” he said. 

Mr. Bar said Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip have been entrenching themselves in southern Lebanon the past few years. He said the movement of enemy forces is expected to intensify as Hamas shifts its focus from the rapidly collapsing Palestinian enclave.

“We will continue to pursue (Hamas) everywhere. We will always remember the massacre of October 7 and we will ensure they remember the lesson of October 8,” Mr. Bar said.