The Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, conducted a visit today (Monday) to the Northern Command along with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Armed Forces, General K. Brown Jr., as part of the general’s visit to the IDF. During the visit, the two discussed the challenges and threats in the Middle East and ways to enhance cooperation between Israel and the United States.
At the beginning of his remarks, Lieutenant General Halevi stated: “I just concluded a visit with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Armed Forces at the Northern Command. We are strengthening operational cooperation in the face of challenges and threats in the Middle East. Israel is strong and defends itself independently, yet it is always good to have a strong ally by our side who shares our values and common interests.”
Additionally, the Chief of Staff referred to the successful IDF operations against Hezbollah, including the elimination of “Hezbollah’s most senior military commander, Fuad Shukr Mohsen, after Hezbollah killed 12 children in Majdal Shams.” He also mentioned the preemptive strike the IDF carried out yesterday: “In a proactive operation, we prevented Hezbollah from making another attempt to harm Israeli civilians – in the north and the center. The vast majority of the targets we destroyed yesterday were aimed at the northern part of the country,” the Chief of Staff noted. This contradicts a report published by The New York Times after the strike, which claimed that the launchers were intended to fire at Tel Aviv.
The Chief of Staff emphasized the IDF’s commitment to continue protecting the residents of the north: “We are very determined to continue striking Hezbollah, eliminating more and more commanders, and depriving them of assets and capabilities – we are not stopping. Hezbollah still has capabilities, and the task is not yet complete. Our mission is clear – to return the residents of the north to their homes safely, and the IDF is working around the clock to achieve this.”
The joint visit of the Chief of Staff and General Brown marks the continuation of the strategic partnership between the armies and the shared commitment to regional stability. “The IDF operates in all arenas with great determination and professionalism to protect the citizens of Israel,” concluded Lieutenant General Halevi.
