IDF Launches Major Cross-Litani Operation In South Lebanon
Division 36 constructs at least five bridges over the Litani River, reaches Beaufort Castle ridge line and Nabatieh outskirts; operation planned over a year ago
The Israel Defense Forces last week launched a significant special operation in southern Lebanon, marking a dramatic deepening of its ground maneuver north of the Litani River, a threshold that carries major strategic and symbolic weight in the conflict with Hezbollah.
According to Israeli military correspondent Itai Blumenthal, Division 36 has been conducting a wide-ranging operation that includes the seizure of territory north of the Litani, the construction of at least five military bridges over the river, and the engineering of new routes through dense Lebanese terrain and boulder fields, enabling the passage of large Israeli forces to the river's northern bank.
A Plan Over A Year In The Making
The operation was not improvised. IDF sources confirm it was planned more than a year in advance, with Division 36 assigned to execute it after an earlier attempt by Division 98 failed approximately two months ago. In that prior attempt, Israeli troops ran into Hezbollah ambushes and the operational plans were deemed insufficient. Northern Command chief Major General Rafi Milo ordered the mission cancelled and transferred to Division 36, which redesigned it from scratch.
Where Israeli Forces Now Stand
In recent days, according to reports from within Lebanon, IDF forces have reached the ridge line in the Yohmor area, the historic Beaufort Castle fortress, and the Zotar area — commanding positions that offer sweeping observation and fire control over large swaths of the Galilee Finger region. The IDF also issued evacuation orders this week to residents of Nabatieh and surrounding villages as forces pushed toward the city's outskirts.
Initial stages of the maneuver involved clashes with Hezbollah operatives, resulting in two Israeli fatalities and a number of wounded. However, the pace of advance has accelerated in recent days.
Why These Areas Matter
The IDF states that the zones now being operated in north of the Litani contain significant Hezbollah centers of gravity used by the organization's Badr Unit, an elite formation responsible for firing rockets and explosive drones directly toward Israeli communities in the Galilee Finger, and particularly toward the town of Metula. The high ground now being seized by Israeli forces commands direct observation and fire onto Metula and the surrounding area, making its capture a primary operational objective.
Strategic Significance
The operation represents the most substantial Israeli ground push north of the Litani since the 2006 Lebanon War, and signals that Israel is no longer limiting its military footprint to the strip of territory immediately adjacent to the border. With Hezbollah continuing to fire rockets and drones into northern Israel, as seen throughout Saturday, the IDF appears to be shifting its strategy toward controlling the terrain from which those attacks are launched, rather than simply intercepting them after the fact.