The Media Line: IDF Chief Says Israel Still in a ‘State of War’ With Hezbollah  

IDF Chief Says Israel Still in a ‘State of War’ With Hezbollah  

By The Media Line Staff  

Strikes between Israel and Hezbollah continued Friday even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday that direct talks would begin “as soon as possible,” with Israel clarifying that negotiations would not follow a ceasefire but would instead take place “under fire.”  

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir spoke with commanders on the outskirts of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon, emphasizing that active combat operations remain ongoing. “The IDF is in a state of war. We are not in a ceasefire, we continue to fight here in this sector, this is our main combat sector,” he said. “We are in all the places. Just as we are in Gaza, just as we are in Syria – we are also here in Lebanon.”  

Military activity continued across multiple fronts as sirens warning of missile and rocket fire were activated in the Ashdod area following launches from Lebanon. Additional sirens were reported in Kiryat Shmona.  

In northern Israel, an ongoing power outage was linked to damage to a high-voltage power line, Israeli media reported Friday morning. The damage may have been caused by rocket shrapnel, according to the reports.  

The IDF also issued a warning regarding Hezbollah’s use of civilian infrastructure. IDF Arabic Spokesperson Col. (res.) Avichay Adraee said in a Friday post to X that Hezbollah must stop using ambulances as part of its operations. He warned that “if this conduct is not halted, Israel will act in accordance with international law against any military activity carried out by the terrorist Hezbollah using those facilities and ambulances.”  

Diplomatic efforts tied to a broader ceasefire framework appeared to have shifted, according to CBS, citing “multiple diplomatic sources.” The report said US President Donald Trump initially agreed to include Lebanon in the ceasefire, as Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also announced.   

A White House official told CBS that Israel accepted the Pakistan-mediated ceasefire terms on the day it took effect, but the US position later changed following a phone call between Trump and Netanyahu.