IDF 36th Division enters Lebanon
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
The IDF announced on Wednesday that its 36th Division, including the Golani Brigade, the 188th Armored Brigade, the Etzioni Brigade and other units, has joined the ground offensive in southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah terror infrastructure. The operation is supported by airstrikes and artillery fire from the 282nd Fire Brigade.
Following a situational assessment, the army declared Tuesday night that the border towns of Dovev, Sasa and Malkia in the Upper Galilee were a closed military zone, with entry to these areas strictly prohibited. The move followed a similar closure in the border communities of Metula, Misgav Am and Kfar Giladi.
Meanwhile, IDF Arabic spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee issued a warning to residents of 24 villages in southern Lebanon, urging immediate evacuation due to Hezbollah activity. "For your safety, you must leave your homes immediately," the statement read, adding that any civilian near Hezbollah fighters, facilities or weapons risks their life. The IDF instructed residents to move north of the Awali River and avoid heading south.
The directive comes a day after the army had ordered residents of 29 southern Lebanese villages to evacuate.
Israel launched what it described as a "limited" ground incursion into its northern neighbor overnight Tuesday after nearly a year of cross-border exchanges of fire with the Iranian-backed terrorist group.
Images and videos of IDF forces in southern Lebanon were released Tuesday, with the army confirming that the 98th Division had raided Hezbollah terror infrastructure. Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin held a situational assessment near the border with 98th Division Commander Brig. Gen. Guy Levy as forces advanced on their targets in Lebanon.
IDF 98th Division enters Lebanon
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Under the command of the 98th Division, units currently fighting in Lebanon include the Paratroopers Brigade, the Commando Brigade and the 7th Armored Brigade. "During the raids, paratroopers uncovered dozens of weapons and combat positions, while fighters from the Egoz unit located and destroyed a Hezbollah rocket-launching and explosive storage site," said the IDF. The Air Force supported the ground operation with over 100 strikes on Hezbollah targets in the last 24 hours.
"We are carrying out a focused operation led by the 98th Division against Hezbollah’s Radwan forces and offensive positions threatening northern Israel," Gordin told commanders during the situational assessment. "Our goal is to neutralize them and pave the way for the safe return of northern residents. We are determined, and you are leading the way—keep going."
Earlier Tuesday, the IDF revealed that more than 70 covert operations had been conducted in southern Lebanon this year, destroying thousands of Hezbollah weapons and over 30 tons of explosives intended for use in an invasion of the Galilee. These weapons had been hidden in tunnels and bunkers along the border and were part of Hezbollah’s plan to occupy parts of northern Israel.
These revelations were partially intended to provide legitimacy for Israel's ground operation in southern Lebanon, which began with a covert entry under the cover of massive air and artillery bombardment. The 98th Division, which entered Lebanon from three separate battle groups that had previously fought in Gaza, has since secured key positions in the region.
IDF forces raid Hezbollah sites in Lebanon
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
The Paratroopers Brigade, Commando Brigade and 7th Armored Brigade are now engaged in combat in Lebanon, facing resistance from Hezbollah fighters, including advanced anti-tank threats. However, the IDF's extensive preemptive strikes on hundreds of targets in the area over the past year are expected to ease their path during the ongoing operation.
The IDF called up four reserve brigades and additional forces for operational tasks in northern Israel on Tuesday. "Their mobilization will support the ongoing combat efforts against Hezbollah and the achievement of the war's objectives, including the safe return of northern residents to their homes," a statement said.
6 View gallery
Rocket impact in Maale Yossef Regional Council
(Photo: Maale Yossef Regional Council)
Meanwhile, Hezbollah has fired nearly 100 rockets from Lebanon toward northern Israel since early Wednesday in more than 20 separate salvos. In one such attack, the Iranian-backed terrorist group fire approximately 20 rockets toward the Haifa Bay region, landing in unpopulated areas. Earlier, about 30 rockets were launched toward the Galilee, most of which were intercepted.
Short-range Burkan missiles struck the border villages of Shtula and Zar’it in the Upper Galilee, causing damage to homes and vehicles, but no injuries were reported. Residents of the area had been evacuated last October at the start of the war.
In the border town of Metula, at least ten homes were damaged in a barrage of a dozen rockets.
Meanwhile, Saudi outlet Al Hadath reported that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducted 17 bombing raids on the Dahieh district of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold. Four apartment complexes were reportedly destroyed.
"IAF fighter jets carried out a series of targeted strikes in Beirut against weapons production facilities and other terrorist infrastructure," the IDF said in a statement. "Steps were taken to minimize civilian casualties, including issuing advance warnings to residents in the area."
IDF strikes Hezbollah targets in Beirut
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper Al Akhbar reported that IAF jets also attacked targets in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, while artillery fire struck several villages in southern Lebanon. The paper also reported that an Israeli drone targeted a motorcycle in Bint Jbeil, a town in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon's National News Agency reported Wednesday that three people were killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting a house in the town of Dibel, near Bint Jbeil.
Earlier on Wednesday, the IDF said Hezbollah had fired a rocket at central Israel, but it landed in an unpopulated area with no damage or injuries. No sirens were activated.
The IDF Homefront Command instructed residents of the Upper Galilee, including Safed, to remain near shelters and avoid travel or large gatherings, anticipating further rocket fire in the coming hours.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: