Elements of the Israel Defense Forces’ 36th Armored Division have been deployed to Southern Lebanon and are carrying out “limited and targeted ground operations” to expand the IDF’s forward defense posture, according to the military. The 36th joins the 91st Galilee Division, as Israel continues efforts to “remove threats and create an additional layer of security for residents of northern Israel,” according to an IDF statement on Tuesday. Before the entry of the additional troops, the IDF conducted artillery and aerial strikes “against numerous Hezbollah terror targets to mitigate threats in the operational environment,” it added.
The IDF is operating “with determination against the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which chose to join the hostilities and operate under the sponsorship of the Iranian terror regime,” the statement continued, warning that the military “will not allow harm to Israeli civilians.” On Monday, the Israeli Air Force struck a large underground Hezbollah complex near Kfara in Southern Lebanon that was used to store cruise missiles and hundreds of rockets, according to an IDF statement later on Tuesday morning. The military said the attack was directed by its Intelligence Directorate and Northern Command as part of efforts to deepen the damage to Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure and expand Israel’s forward defense posture.
During a situation assessment with senior military and security officials on Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the IDF had launched a ground incursion into Southern Lebanon, with the goal of removing threats and protecting the residents of the Galilee and the north. Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians “will not return to their homes south of the Litani [River] area until the safety of northern residents is guaranteed,” he declared. (Read More)
