Defense Minister Yisroel Katz toured southern Lebanon on Sunday alongside Deputy Chief of Staff Tamir Yadai and Division 91 commander Yuval Gaz, outlining a new military campaign aimed at dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure and reshaping the security reality along Israel’s northern border.
Also joining the visit was Eitan Davidi, head of Moshav Margaliot, who represented residents living near the border and has been calling for a fundamental shift in the region’s security conditions.
While addressing troops in the field, Katz disclosed the name of the ongoing military initiative, “Silver Plow,” describing it as an operation focused on destroying terrorist infrastructure and structures used by Hezbollah for launching attacks against Israel.
“We have decided that we are not leaving the north again. It is impossible to leave civilians under the threat of anti-tank fire and raids. The goal is to disarm Hezbollah and evacuate all Lebanese residents south of the Litani-they will not return as long as the safety of our residents is not guaranteed. All the houses are being removed. We saw in Gaza how this works-until it happens, repeated raids don’t help. They lose territory and they lose homes,” Katz said.
Katz also spoke about the final moments of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah prior to his assassination, offering a pointed reflection. “According to the diagnoses, in the end he was trapped in a room and suffocated. He had a few minutes to think about how wrong he was in understanding the Jews-that we have changed. He was sure he knew us; he didn’t understand that what happened caused us to act differently.”
Davidi voiced strong backing for both the defense minister and the IDF, emphasizing the resolve of residents in the region. “We will give the IDF all the time needed to complete the job. We don’t need to evacuate-staying in our homes is our victory image. We are here to give strength to the soldiers so they know we trust them. The Defense Minister has pulled the pin, and the IDF is doing the job.”
