The Israeli military (IDF) has further expanded its ground operations in southern Lebanon and says it has secured a central defensive line along the border. The stated aim of the operation is to stop Hezbollah’s ongoing attacks on northern Israel and stabilize the security situation in the border region.
According to the army, units of the 98th Division have taken operational control of several strategic areas. In the process, numerous positions belonging to the Iran-backed Hezbollah were destroyed and its infrastructure was systematically pushed back. At the same time, the Israeli Air Force is carrying out coordinated strikes on military targets in southern Lebanon.
The IDF describes the campaign as a “determined operation” against Hezbollah, which it says has been actively involved in the war against Israel since March 2. Since then, the group has regularly launched rockets and drones at Israeli territory, opening a second front in the north.
In recent weeks, units of the 91st Division in particular have reportedly carried out targeted operations against armed cells. According to the army, fighters were also identified operating from within civilian buildings, including religious sites. The IDF has again accused Hezbollah of deliberately using civilian infrastructure for military purposes—an allegation that has also been raised by international observers in previous conflicts.
Soldiers also reportedly discovered extensive weapons stockpiles, including explosive devices, firearms, and rockets. Reservists from the 769th Brigade, operating under the command of the 91st Division, also found underground shelters storing military equipment and weapons, including RPG rockets and explosives. Hezbollah observation posts were also located and destroyed.
The army said one discovery drew particular attention: alongside weapons, troops allegedly found a flag belonging to the United Nations refugee agency. Independent confirmation of that incident has not yet been provided.
According to Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, Israel has killed more than 1,000 Hezbollah fighters since the fighting began. Those figures cannot currently be independently verified. Zamir also said the army is acting against the group “comprehensively and on multiple levels.”
The area south of the Litani River has now effectively been declared a military operational zone. In doing so, Israel is aligning itself in practice with the logic of UN Resolution 1701, which after the 2006 Lebanon war called for a demilitarized zone in that area. From Israel’s perspective, however, that arrangement was steadily undermined over the years by Hezbollah’s rearmament.
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