JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In preparation for Israel’s ground maneuver in Lebanon, the soldiers of the IDF’s 98th Division, including soldiers from the Paratroopers, Commando and the 7th Brigades, who spearheaded the IDF’s battles in Gaza, have been training for weeks for the targeted operation in southern Lebanon.
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The operation began Monday night and the soldiers received battle messages from their commanding officers.
In a briefing ahead of the operation, the commander of the Egoz commando unit noted that it would be “unlike anything since 2006,” but that it would be integral to allowing the residents of northern Israel to return home safely. “I trust you, and I am proud of you, I am proud to be fighting in this unit and leading it, and I think we are continuing to write history with this.”
מבצע קרקעי בלבנון | אוגדה 98 החלה בפעילות ממוקדת בדרום לבנון. מפקד יחידת אגוז לחייליו: “התחלנו במבצעים בחתימה נמוכה, והיום ניכנס לתמרון יותר משמעותי – כדי להחזיר את תושבי הצפון בביטחון לבתים שלהם”. כל הפרטים >>> https://t.co/T6rL0NR7le@ItayBlumental pic.twitter.com/CMUyTVnHbN
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) October 1, 2024
#WATCH: After months in Gaza, the soldiers of the 98th Division have moved up north to begin limited, localized, and targeted operations in southern Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/imgAQ9JjWc
— Israel National News – Arutz Sheva (@ArutzSheva_En) October 1, 2024
IDF soldiers prepare for Lebanese operation
The operation is based on precise intelligence, and includes strikes against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon. The targets are located in villages close to the northern border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said.
“The IDF is operating according to a methodical plan set out by the General Staff and the Northern Command which IDF soldiers have trained and prepared for in recent months,” the statement said.
“The Israeli Air Force and IDF Artillery are supporting the ground forces with precise strikes on military targets in the area.”
Prior to the start of the operation, UNIFIL forces requested that the Lebanese army evacuate several positions on the border in preparation for an expected ground incursion by Israel, the Lebanese Al Jadid channel reported.
The evacuation was carried out in the early evening and a Lebanese security source told Reuters that “the Lebanese forces withdrew five kilometers north of the border.” After the military positions were evacuated, the IDF opened artillery fire into southern Lebanon.
