On October 1, 2024, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) initiated a small ground offensive in southern Lebanon, aimed against Hezbollah strongholds along the border. These targeted operations, backed up by aircraft and artillery, are part of Israel’s continuing fight with Hezbollah, an Iranian-sponsored militant organization. The operation intends to remove Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, which Israel sees as a direct danger to its northern communities.
This operation comes after a period of heightened tensions and cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel, particularly following the Israeli airstrike that killed Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The raids are described as accurate and targeted, focusing on communities that Hezbollah has allegedly converted into military strongholds. The IDF highlighted that the operation is a part of its overall military actions to safeguard Israeli people and achieve strategic goals in the region.
Israel and Hezbollah have had a long history of animosity, which stems from ideological and territorial differences. Israel, the United States, and the European Union all consider Hezbollah, which operates in Lebanon as both a political party and an armed group, to be a terrorist organization. Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, has gathered enormous military resources and poses a direct threat to northern Israeli settlements.
The most recent tensions rose after Hamas launched an attack on Israel in early October 2023, prompting Hezbollah to increase cross-border strikes into northern Israel in support of its Palestinian affiliate. In response, Israel launched airstrikes against Hezbollah’s leadership and infrastructure. This included a high-profile airstrike in southern Beirut that killed the head of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, causing a huge setback to the organization.
The IDF’s ground assault is part of a larger campaign to degrade Hezbollah’s military capability. Israeli sources describe the operation as “localized” and “targeted,” with a focus on communities near the border where Hezbollah supposedly has military camps. According to the IDF, these strikes are based on exact intelligence and aim to demolish the infrastructure utilized by Hezbollah to launch attacks on Israel.
