Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to expand its ground maneuver zone in Lebanon and deepen its control over areas previously controlled by the Shiite organization Hezbollah.
"I instructed the IDF to expand its maneuvers in Lebanon. Our forces crossed the Litani River and captured the Beaufort Ridge. Now my directive is to deepen and expand our hold on areas that had been under Hezbollah’s control," Netanyahu said.
According to him, the capture of Beaufort is a dramatic stage and a dramatic shift in the Israeli policy.
"We are operating on all fronts - in Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon. We have established security zones beyond our borders in order to protect our communities," Netanyahu said.
