Israeli military launches new massive operation against Hezbollah

Israeli forces captured the strategic Beaufort Ridge in southern Lebanon, home to a Crusader-era fortress, marking one of the deepest ground advances into Lebanese territory since fighting with Hezbollah escalated.

The Israel Defence Forces announced Sunday that troops crossed the Litani River and seized control of the ridge and the nearby Wadi al-Saluki area during a multi-day operation aimed at dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure and eliminating threats to northern Israeli communities.

The military said the operation was preceded by extensive airstrikes, artillery barrages and tank fire targeting Hezbollah positions. Israeli forces also conducted engineering work and route-clearing operations before advancing across the Litani River, a key geographic line north of Israel’s border.

“This is a clear message to our enemies: Those who threaten the citizens of Israel will lose their strategic assets one by one. I salute the Golani fighters and all IDF fighters who wrote another chapter of Israeli heroism in the place where our heroes fell for the homeland,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said.

According to the military, Hezbollah used the elevated area to launch rockets at Israel’s Galilee Panhandle and the city of Metula.

“The operation focuses on gaining control of the Beaufort Ridge and the Saluki Stream area, as well as deepening the damage to Hezbollah and destroying significant terrorist infrastructure that was established on the ridge under Iranian direction,” the IDF said.

The Beaufort Ridge holds symbolic and strategic significance for Israel. The IDF first captured the mountaintop position during the 1982 First Lebanon War and maintained an outpost there until Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.

An Israeli military source said forces encountered resistance during the operation, which was conducted under heavy air and ground fire support. Unlike previous battles for the ridge, troops approached from the west after breaching routes along the Litani River.

The IDF said troops are also operating near Nabatieh, a major Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon, and are prepared to expand the offensive into additional areas.

As military operations intensified, the IDF reissued a sweeping evacuation warning to residents across southern Lebanon.

“In light of the Hezbollah terror organization’s violation of the ceasefire agreement and its targeting of the Israeli home front, the Israel Defense Forces is compelled to act against it forcefully, particularly in your areas,” Arabic-language military spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee said on X.

“Anyone who is near Hezbollah operatives, its facilities, or its weapons is putting their life at risk. Any building used by Hezbollah for military purposes may become a target,” he warned.

The escalating fighting has also affected daily life in northern Israel. Schools and educational institutions in communities along the Lebanese border, including Kiryat Shmona, were closed Sunday under new Home Front Command restrictions.

Additional communities in the Upper Galilee and northern Golan Heights were instructed to limit educational activities to protected facilities where shelters can be reached quickly. Public gatherings were restricted to 50 people outdoors and 200 indoors, while beaches were ordered closed.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry announced that the Galilee Medical Centre in Nahariya was moving operations to protected underground facilities.