Retired IDF General Avivi: Israel Considering ‘Dead Zone’ on Lebanese Border To Contain Hezbollah
Amid Israel's fragile ceasefire, General Amir Avivi urges action against Iran, Hezbollah, and HTS, while stressing US-led coalitions and the Abraham Accords for long-term Middle East stability
As a seemingly fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas finishes its first full day, retired IDF General Amir Avivi detailed Israel’s broader regional challenges and the strategic complexities shaping its military operations. Speaking to The Media Line, Avivi reiterated the need to address regional threats, secure borders, and coordinate with allies to ensure long-term stability.
Israel has dismantled completely everything along its border, 2 miles at least inside Lebanon, in a way that there cannot be a terror infrastructure near the Israeli border.
Avivi emphasized Israel’s efforts to weaken Hezbollah in Lebanon, stressing that the IDF is closely monitoring and dismantling potential threats. “Israel has dismantled completely everything along its border, 2 miles at least inside Lebanon, in a way that there cannot be a terror infrastructure near the Israeli border,” he said. He added that Israel is considering creating a “dead zone,” a cleared buffer area free of any infrastructure or hostile elements, to prevent Hezbollah from reestablishing its presence along the border.
In a way, Lebanon is landlocked. … Syria is in control of Sunni forces and not Shia. There needs to be big pressure from the administration, from Europe, from the moderate Sunni states in Lebanon to dismantle Hezbollah.
While Avivi acknowledged that significant Hezbollah infrastructure remains deeper inside Lebanon, he noted that Israel’s operations have made it difficult for the group to rebuild. “In a way, Lebanon is landlocked. … Syria is in control of Sunni forces and not Shia,” he said, stressing that Hezbollah’s supply lines have been disrupted. Avivi also called for increased international pressure to enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1559, which requires the disarmament of militias like Hezbollah. “There needs to be big pressure from the administration, from Europe, from the moderate Sunni states in Lebanon to dismantle Hezbollah,” he explained.
He linked these efforts to the broader vision of “peace through strength,” a strategy championed by US President Donald Trump during his first administration. Avivi noted that strengthening alliances, particularly with moderate Sunni states, is essential to creating a robust Western-Israeli-Sunni coalition capable of resisting Iranian influence and stabilizing the region. “These goals are completely dependent on each other and connected,” he said, emphasizing that progress on normalizing relations with countries like Saudi Arabia under the Abraham Accords would bolster regional security.
This holiday season, give to:
Truth and understanding
The Media Line's intrepid correspondents are in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Pakistan providing first-person reporting.
They all said they cover it.
We see it.
We report with just one agenda: the truth.
The Egyptians did reinforce the border with Gaza at the beginning of the war with tanks. Israel, in the last few days, reinforced the Israeli forces along the Philadelphia Corridor to make sure that Gaza is completely closed and there is no smuggling of weapons or terrorists into Gaza from the Sinai Peninsula.
Avivi highlighted Egypt’s role in securing the Gaza border, particularly along the Philadelphia Corridor. “The Egyptians did reinforce the border with Gaza at the beginning of the war with tanks,” Avivi said. He noted that while the number of forces on the Egyptian side has remained stable since the conflict’s onset, Israel has bolstered its own presence along the corridor in recent days. “Israel, in the last few days, reinforced the Israeli forces along the Philadelphia Corridor to make sure that Gaza is completely closed and there is no smuggling of weapons or terrorists into Gaza from the Sinai Peninsula.”
Avivi emphasized the importance of Israel’s coordination with Egypt, describing their collaborative efforts to ensure that Gaza remains isolated from external military aid. This cooperation underscores Egypt’s strategic role in maintaining regional stability and controlling the flow of weapons and personnel.
Turning to Syria, Avivi expressed skepticism about the prospects of stability in the region following the collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime in December 2024. “Whether they’ll function as a country or not, whether they’ll go back to civil war, it’s completely unclear,” he remarked.
The fall of Assad marked the end of over five decades of family rule, with opposition forces, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), swiftly capturing key cities and forcing Assad into exile in Russia.
The transitional administration now led by HTS-associated leaders, including Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir and Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammad al-Julani), has raised concerns due to their Islamist ideology. Avivi cautioned against trusting figures like al-Julani, describing him and his government as a significant threat to Israel. “He’s a very radical guy, and his appointees in the government are also very radical,” Avivi noted.
“So they cannot be trusted, and we cannot let them rebuild a military force because this will endanger Israel at a certain point. So Israel is opening its eyes and really monitoring what’s going on in Syria and keeping our forces in a perimeter that can defend our towns.
We need to attack the nuclear sites of Iran, and we also need to attack the Houthis. This is about the US really being a world leader and deterring also the Chinese from invading Taiwan or the Russians from further aggression in Europe.
On Iran, Avivi argued for a more aggressive stance, particularly targeting Iran’s nuclear program and military infrastructure. “We need to attack the nuclear sites of Iran, and we also need to attack the Houthis,” he stated, calling for a coalition led by the US to show strength and deter global adversaries. “This is about the US really being a world leader and deterring also the Chinese from invading Taiwan or the Russians from further aggression in Europe.”
Avivi also addressed the growing concern about Hamas exploiting social media to track IDF soldiers. He cited instances where Israeli soldiers on vacation were targeted by Hamas operatives, sometimes in coordination with local authorities, to attempt arrests abroad. “The army is very proactive dealing with Hamas and trying to change its tactics all the time,” Avivi said.
He acknowledged that the issue extends beyond Hamas, with international delegitimization campaigns targeting Israeli soldiers and officials. “The fact that people are trying to arrest Israeli soldiers, it’s a very big problem that Israel needs to deal with,” he said. Avivi called for a more robust response to these campaigns, which he described as part of a global effort to undermine Israel’s legitimacy. “We have to be very active and proactive in really fighting this phenomenon.”
