Israeli occupation forces from the 7th Armored Brigade have breached sovereign Lebanese territory, advancing toward the Litani River and moving into the first line of Lebanese villages, according to statements from Brigade Commander Col. Shaul Yisraeli. This incursion, which received clearance from the political echelon, saw the brigade successfully breach strategic pathways to the Litani River.
Col. Yisraeli stated that the mission involved neutralizing subterranean "cities of refuge" constructed by Hezbollah over the last two decades. He described the engineering tasks involved in breaching routes to the Litani River as among the most complex of the ground maneuver in southern Lebanon.
The brigade commander detailed how a bulldozer at the front of the force pushed forward until its blade touched the waters of the Litani River, allowing tank crews to advance. He highlighted the work of the brigade's engineering companies, stating they breached crossings at the Litani and Salouqi simultaneously, an event he claimed had never happened before.
Col. Yisraeli credited non-commissioned officers and engineering force foremen, equating their importance to nuclear engineers for executing maneuvers thought to be impossible. He noted that their actions created the conditions for the attack and that their company commanders engaged at point-blank range in what he called "exemplary battles."
He reported that the 7th Brigade was the first to enter combat after a fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah, launching a maneuver toward Lebanese villages including Taybe, Markaba, and Rabb El Thalathine. The stated aim was to prevent raids against northern Israeli communities and anti-tank missile fire.
Military Incursion into Lebanon
The Golani Brigade joined the operation in a second stage, with a dramatic phase involving the capture of Hezbollah's "city of refuge" in Qantara. Col. Yisraeli described this infrastructure as built over approximately 20 years by Iran alongside Hezbollah, featuring rooms, organized weaponry, and firing and anti-tank positions facing Misgav Am.
He added that Qantara also served as a launch base for raids into Israeli territory and commanded the villages of Froun and Ghandouriyeh due to its location above the Wadi Salouqi and a junction connecting to the Litani. Fighters of the 7th Brigade later faced an unprecedented attack involving hundreds of suicide drones in the area.
In the third stage of the fighting, the brigade's battalions joined forces with the Golani Brigade to capture all terrain overlooking the Litani and the Beaufort ridge. This included conducting raids toward Ghandouriyeh to locate and destroy infrastructure both above and below ground, with Col. Yisraeli stating, "The ground was burning."
He confirmed that the capture of this area was completed in the last two weeks, resulting in dozens of deaths among what he termed "terrorists." An additional tank company, operating alongside the Commando Brigade, attacked Hezbollah infrastructure north of Beaufort, including structures dug deep into the ground from which anti-tank missile launchers were aimed at the Metula area and the Galilee Panhandle.
Col. Yisraeli noted that in the initial attacks, dozens of anti-tank missiles were fired at Israeli forces, and the "enemy was deployed in highly established, widespread ambushes across the terrain." He identified explosive drones as a central and new threat, calling for state investment in solutions to this issue.
Ahead of the maneuver toward Wadi Salouqi, the brigade studied complications from the Battle of Salouqi in the Second Lebanon War, which occurred nearly 20 years ago. This time, the volume of munitions fired at forces was larger and more varied, according to Col. Yisraeli.
Advance intelligence gathered using drones located Hezbollah explosive charges, booby traps, and anti-tank launchers aimed at bottleneck crossings, providing platoon and tank commanders with visibility of routes and vulnerabilities. Robots were deployed afterward, and Air Force forces struck Hezbollah operatives who opened fire.
Egoz fighters conducted advance raids to neutralize ambush components, dismantling the adversary's system of charges, anti-tank missiles, and lookouts on the way to Hezbollah's "cities of refuge." Col. Yisraeli stated that the ground maneuver exposed these subterranean structures, some dug deep to grant immunity from airstrikes.
Engineering mapping indicated that the same contractor built all the structures, with rooms, corridors, launch sites, and anti-tank missile firing slits built to a consistent standard. He noted that locating these sites in Qantara and Beaufort was faster than in Gaza because the tunnels in Lebanon were larger.
Hezbollah, according to Col. Yisraeli, organized southern Lebanon as a multi-layered combat system, with lines designed to strike the Israeli home front, serve as staging grounds for the Radwan Force, delay IDF ground maneuvers, and store weapons or house reserve fighters. These systems were built through Iranian-Lebanese cooperation, incorporating fortifications designed to be immune to Israeli Air Force strikes.
U.S. Diplomatic Context Amidst Occupation
Amidst these military operations, a separate report indicated that U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived for talks in Switzerland, expressing optimism about discussions with Iran. The report noted that Iran was sending mixed messages and seeking to consolidate its influence in Lebanon.
The ongoing Israeli military presence across southern Lebanon was highlighted as a challenge demonstrated by the events of the past few days, coinciding with the U.S. diplomatic efforts. Col. Yisraeli also discussed internal IDF considerations, including the need to better plan operational patterns during prolonged war and adapt to a changed reality, while emphasizing the importance of defending communities against infiltration.
He recounted an incident where a Hezbollah operative infiltrated IDF defensive lines in southern Lebanon, reached the Moshav of Margaliot, and opened fire before being neutralized. Col. Yisraeli stressed the need to examine the defense system and ensure the defense of communities, stating, "This is certainly an event that flashes a red light for us."
Col. Yisraeli concluded by acknowledging the burden on battalion commanders and their wives during continuous combat, calling the wives his "greatest heroes" for raising young children while their husbands are engaged in operations.