IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir toured Ras el-Bayada, the northernmost tip of southern Lebanon, Sunday. IDF troops are actively operating in the region, where Zamir held high-level talks with senior officials, such as Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, 146th Division commander Brig. Gen. Benny Aharon, 226th Brigade commander Col. A., among others.

The Chief of Staff praised the efforts of the 146th Division, as well as the soldiers of the 226th Brigade, for their actions and “commended them for their actions, as well as the creativity, ingenuity, and fighting spirit demonstrated in carrying out the mission,” the Israeli military said in a statement.

In a blunt address to the troops, Zamir said that, with more than 1,000 Hezbollah terrorists eliminated, the war against the terror group will continue to intensify.

The IDF published an excerpt of Zamir’s remarks:

“The IDF is striking Hezbollah, a terrorist organization, with determination, extensively, and across multiple fronts,” he said. “Over 1,000 Hezbollah terrorists have been eliminated, and that number will continue to rise. The damage to Hezbollah will intensify.”

Zamir warned that no terrorist or site that supports terrorism will be spared. “Every terrorist target and any target that supports terrorism in Lebanese territory will be struck,” he added, saying the IDF is now treating the entire region south of the Litani River as an active war zone, working to eliminate threats completely. “We issued advanced warnings to the residents of southern Lebanon for their protection and to enable freedom of military operation,” he said.

He also said Israel would stay as long as it takes “to strengthen defense and push the threat away from northern communities.”

Zamir counseled patience, as the operation to degrade Hezbollah and suppress its ability to launch rockets at Israel would take time.

“This will take time, but we will continue to significantly degrade their capabilities,” he declared. “The IDF is expanding the mission that began in Operation ‘Northern Arrows’ and will continue to severely degrade Hezbollah. Alongside all this, we will maintain operational freedom of action throughout Lebanon.”

Zamir stressed that disarming Hezbollah remains a top priority for the IDF, “an ongoing objective that predates the current operation,” though he conceded that Operation “Roaring Lion will advance it.”

“We mourn our fallen soldiers in this operation and will investigate every incident in which they fell. They fell in the fight to defend our country and to ensure the security of the residents and communities of the north,” he concluded.

The Chief of Staff’s visit and his remarks signal Israel’s widening operations in southern Lebanon, treating the entire region south of the Litani as an active combat zone as Israel ramps up its efforts to protect Israeli citizens from terrorist threats.