Hezbollah leaders' funerals pass without confrontations, shifting border dynamics — The details

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

The funerals of former Hezbollah secretaries-general Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine took place without any fallout or field confrontations, either inside Lebanon or along the border with Israel. The post-funeral scenarios Tel Aviv had anticipated did not materialize.

In response, the situation shifted across northern Israel, particularly in towns near the Lebanese border.

The state of emergency was lifted, along with all movement restrictions. The Northern Command and the Home Front Command described the situation as being at the "peak of security and stability."

However, this political rhetoric did not change the reality for residents of these areas. They remain caught between the presence of soldiers and military vehicles filling their towns and the sight of Hezbollah flags flying just across the border in Lebanon.

As residents wrestle with concerns over returning home and political disputes continue, security agencies have been implementing a new border strategy, dubbed the "triple-layered ground defense system."

The first layer focuses on Israel's interior, involving permanent fortifications and a physical barrier along the border near Israeli towns. Surveillance equipment will be installed and integrated with air defense and artillery units.

The second layer is tied to Lebanon, or what Israel calls "enemy territory." It includes the establishment of five military bases in advanced defensive positions, manned by army personnel and a classified unit.

The third layer aims to disarm or eliminate threats to Israel across all fronts, including Syria, where Tel Aviv seeks to achieve this goal before withdrawing its last troops.