After years of preparations, months of threats, and two weeks of significant strikes against Hezbollah that appeared to be a prelude to a major military operation, the moment has arrived that many in Israel and around the world both hoped for and feared: the IDF’s return to ground maneuvers in Lebanon. The objective is to push Hezbollah away from the border by force (in line with the implementation of Resolution 1701, which was adopted at the end of the previous war), remove the threat from northern communities, and allow the return of evacuated northern residents to their homes.
The military operation began last night in the area of the Galilee Panhandle, and currently, it seems the main effort is directed westward, towards Al-Khiam, a Lebanese village close to the border from which numerous rocket launches were carried out towards nearby Manara, causing significant destruction in the Israeli community. The move followed several hours of heavy artillery shelling and involves forces from the 98th Division and the 7th Brigade, which had recently left the Gaza Strip. As of now, there have been no reported encounters between IDF forces and Hezbollah fighters.
The IDF is not revealing its full plans, with some politicians describing a maneuver aimed at capturing all territory south of the Litani River. American sources claim they were assured that the maneuver would not be larger than that of the Second Lebanon War (where the maximum advance was about 15 kilometers into Lebanese territory in various directions). The question, of course, is what the IDF aims to achieve with this maneuver—whether the goal is primarily to destroy infrastructure, kill militants, or create a psychological impact by reinforcing Israel’s image as victorious and undermining Hezbollah’s image as the “defender of Lebanon.”
IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari commented on the IDF’s actions: “If the state of Lebanon and the world cannot push Hezbollah away from our border, we have no choice but to do it ourselves. I want to clarify: our war is with Hezbollah, not with the citizens of Lebanon. We do not want to harm Lebanese civilians, and we are taking steps to prevent this. We will not allow another October 7th to happen on any of our borders. We will continue doing whatever it takes so that the citizens of Israel can return to their homes in safety and peace.”
At this moment, as the IDF operates on the ground simultaneously in Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank, with its aircraft striking targets from Yemen to Syria, and with Hezbollah battered and struggling to respond to Israeli attacks, Israel’s power is being broadcast loud and clear to the entire world. Those who thought that October 7th proved Israel incapable of defending itself or handling a small terrorist organization are now seeing a demonstration of Israel’s capabilities—with many more still untapped.
