What do we know about Israel’s ground offensive in Lebanon after two weeks of fighting?
Almost two weeks ago, the IDF declared the start of “limited, localized and targeted ground raids” against Hezbollah terrorists and infrastructure in southern Lebanon.
Since then, the Israeli military, unlike the fighting against Hamas terrorists in Gaza, has kept a tight lid on information, such as detailed accounts of the battles and the exact locations of its forces.
In this explainer, we have compiled much of the available information, previously released and approved by the IDF’s military censor, to provide a comprehensive view of Israel’s ground offensive in southern Lebanon.
While the IDF began the incursion with only one division, it gradually added more forces every couple of days. By now, four divisions are fighting in Lebanon: The 98th Commando Division, which spearheaded the operation, the 36th, the 91st, and the 146th, which joined the fighting last Tuesday.
Every division entered southern Lebanon with at least three brigades, bringing the estimated number of soldiers to around 15-20,000, for now. To compare, the highest number of soldiers actively fighting in Gaza was reached around last November, when five divisions totaling some 25,000-50,000 troops were fighting Hamas.
An Israeli source told Sky News Arabia that the IDF was flooding the area with large forces to nip any possible Hezbollah resistance in the bud.
While the IDF hasn’t said where its troops are fighting, it has declared four closed military zones along stretches of the border, indicating that each of the four active divisions is conducting operations in the opposite area within Lebanon.
The zones are located between Rosh Hanikra and Arab al-Aramsheh: between Dovev and Malkia; between Malkia, Yiftah and Manara; and between Misgav Am, Metula, and Kfar Giladi.
A fifth zone was declared between Zar'it and Netoa on Saturday evening, indicating the imminent entry of additional forces.
The IDF has indicated a few areas where it is conducting operations within Lebanon, for example when it announced that soldiers of the 36th Division were fighting in the town of Bint Jbeil, which lies opposite the military zone around Dovev and Malkia.
According to Channel 12 News military analyst Nir Dvori, the ground operation is only a part of Israel’s four-pronged strategy, which aims to create necessary conditions to allow the return residents of northern Israel to their homes.
The ground operation is aided by the aerial destruction of Hezbollah's infrastructure and capabilities deeper within Lebanon, including its launchers, storehouses, and production sites.
The Jerusalem Post recently cited IDF sources who stated “that they expect to be in Lebanon longer than the two to three weeks originally set,” adding that “they were still just at the very beginning of taking apart Hezbollah's capabilities in southern Lebanon and that significant time could be needed.”
The Israeli source also told Sky News Arabia that the IDF hasn’t set specific geographical boundaries for the operation, and would pursue its goals, namely the elimination of Hezbollah’s leadership and its fighters, independent of them
On the tactical level, all reports suggest that Israeli forces have focused mainly on capturing villages and towns that provided Hezbollah terrorists with launch positions overlooking Israeli towns in northern Galilee, as well as the forward positions of its elite Radwan Force
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