We're fighting terror, no one else will defend us: Israeli commander to India Today
A reservist commander in the Israeli military has said that there remains significant uncertainty over the prospects of a lasting peace arrangement in West Asia, but stressed that Israeli forces will continue operations as long as threats persist.
Israeli troops are facing daily ceasefire violations from Hezbollah and remain prepared for a prolonged conflict amid uncertainty over any future peace deal covering the wider region, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) commander currently deployed along the Lebanon border has told India Today.
Major E (name withheld due to security reasons), a reservist commander in the Israeli military, said he returned to active duty after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, despite having left full-time military service years earlier to work in the real estate sector.
Speaking to India Today in Jerusalem, the commander said he had served seven years in active combat roles before moving to reserve duty four years ago. Since the October 7 attacks, he has spent nearly 600 days deployed across multiple fronts, including Gaza, andthe Lebanese and Syrian borders.
"Every day there are ceasefire violations on the Lebanon border. We are defending our communities and countering threats from Hezbollah and Iran-backed groups," he said.
'IF WE DON'T DEFEND ISRAEL...'
Major E said there remains significant uncertainty over the prospects of a lasting peace arrangement in West Asia, but stressed that Israeli forces will continue operations as long as threats persist.
"We understand this war is not over yet. If we do not defend our country, nobody else will do it for us," he stated.
Rejecting widespread allegations of war crimes against Israeli forces, the commander asserted that the IDF follows strict operational protocols and takes action against any misconduct by soldiers.
"We are not fighting civilians. We are fighting terror organisations that target our people," Major E said, adding that the military respects civilians and religious sites and takes action against personnel found violating the code of military conduct.
The commander also claimed that Hamas and Hezbollah have increasingly embedded military infrastructure into civilian areas. According to him, Israeli forces discovered tunnels and operational hideouts inside homes, children’s rooms, schools, mosques and hospitals during operations in Gaza and Lebanon.
"These tunnels were not built to protect civilians. They were built to launch attacks against Israel while hiding among civilian populations," he said.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT
Israel launched large-scale military operations in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 onslaught carried out by Hamas. The campaign triggered a broader regional conflict between Israeli forces and Iran-backed groups, including Hezbollah, spread across West Asia.
The fighting between the Israeli military and Hezbollah intensified once again amid the war that erupted earlier this year between Iran and the joint forces of Israel and the United States.
A truce was subsequently signed between Israel and Lebanon on April 16. Despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces and Hezbollah, which is a non-state entity, have continued to trade blows.
Tehran has demanded a halt to Israeli attacks in Lebanon as a condition in talks aimed at reaching a peace deal with the US. The truce between Israel and Lebanon helped enable negotiations between the two countries, brokered by the US in Washington, where a May 15 round saw the two sides agree to a 45-day ceasefire extension.