The Israel Defense Forces’ 91st “Galilee” Division has begun limited, targeted ground operations against key Hezbollah strongholds in Southern Lebanon, the military said on Monday, as part of efforts to strengthen Israel’s forward defensive line.
According to the IDF, the operations are aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure and eliminating Hezbollah operatives in the area in order to remove threats and create an additional layer of security for residents of northern Israel.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a situation assessment with top military and security officials on Monday that the IDF had “begun a ground maneuver in Lebanon to remove threats and protect the residents of the Galilee and the north,” adding that hundreds of thousands of Shi’ite residents of Southern Lebanon “will not return to their homes south of the Litani [River] area until the safety of northern residents is guaranteed.”
Katz said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed the military “to act and destroy the terrorist infrastructure in the contact villages along the Lebanese border—to prevent threats and Hezbollah’s return to the area—exactly as it was done against Hamas in Gaza in Rafah, Beit Hanoun and other large areas that were neutralized, and as is being done now against the terror tunnels in Gaza.”
He delivered a personal message to Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, warning that the terrorist organization “will pay a heavy price for its aggression and its activity in the Iranian axis aimed at destroying Israel. Those who sought to destroy us were destroyed and will be destroyed.
“If Naim Qassem misses Nasrallah and Khamenei so much, he will be able to meet them soon in the depths of hell, along with all the eliminated members of the axis of evil. We promised security to the residents of the north, and that is exactly what we will deliver,” Katz said.
Ahead of the ground activity, Israeli forces carried out strikes with artillery and aircraft against multiple Hezbollah targets to reduce threats in the operational environment.
At the same time, IDF troops continue to conduct defensive missions to protect Israeli communities in the Galilee.
Meanwhile, the IDF continues to carry out waves of strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure across Lebanon, including several launch sites in the Al-Qatrani area from which terrorists were planning imminent rocket attacks, the military said.
Over the weekend, Israeli forces also struck and dismantled Hezbollah Radwan Force command centers in Beirut that were used to advance attacks against the Jewish state.
Since the start of “Operation Roaring Lion” against the Islamic Republic on Feb. 28, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have significantly degraded Hezbollah’s command-and-control capabilities, financial resources and weapons stockpiles, according to the IDF.
“Hezbollah systematically embeds its infrastructure within the civilian population across Lebanon,” the military said, calling the situation “another example of the organization’s cynical exploitation of Lebanese civilians for its terrorist activities.”
The IDF said steps were taken ahead of the strikes to mitigate the risk of civilian harm, including issuing advance warnings, using precision-guided munitions and conducting aerial surveillance.
“The IDF is operating decisively against the Hezbollah terrorist organization in response to its deliberate decision to attack Israel on behalf of the Iranian terror regime,” the military added. “The IDF will not allow harm to the residents of the State of Israel.”
