JERUSALEM (VINnews) – The Israel Defense Forces General Staff Forum held its weekly assessment Thursday morning with mayors and local council leaders from communities along the northern border, where the military pledged to establish lasting security.

“Our mission is clear, to restore peace and security to you for the long term. We are committed to creating a better security reality here over time,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told the local leaders, according to remarks released by the military.

The meeting focused on the ongoing security situation in northern Israel, where residents have faced repeated rocket fire and infiltration threats from Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon since the outbreak of the war in October 2023. Many communities near the border remain partially or fully evacuated.

Zamir’s comments highlight the IDF’s commitment to shifting from temporary defensive measures to a more permanent security arrangement along the volatile frontier.