Israeli Forces Still Unable to “Capture a Single Village” in Southern Lebanon
The renowned Israeli newspaper *Yedioth Ahronoth* reported that the Israeli forces have yet to "establish a foothold" in southern Lebanon, despite the deployment of tens of thousands of ground troops.
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – For a month now, the Israeli military has deployed 50,000 troops to conduct ground operations aimed at countering Hezbollah fighters, but they have so far failed to “capture even a single village” in southern Lebanon.
The renowned Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the Israeli forces have yet to “establish a foothold” in southern Lebanon, despite the deployment of tens of thousands of ground troops.
“After a month of ground operations involving five divisions and reserve brigades—exceeding 50,000 troops, three times the force used in the July 2006 war—Israel has been unable to establish a presence in southern Lebanon.”
“Despite support from firepower and air support, the Israeli military still hasn’t managed to capture a single village in southern Lebanon,” according to the leading Hebrew-language Israeli newspaper.
It also reported that in October alone, 64 Israeli soldiers and 24 Israeli settlers lost their lives. Additionally, a total of 4,600 missiles, rockets, and drones have been launched at Israel, triggering 14,000 warning sirens.
Israel troops
“One hundred and one Israeli hostages remain in captivity,” it stated.
The report attributed Israel’s failure in its ground operations to Hezbollah’s “effective tactical strategy.” According to *Yedioth Ahronoth*, Hezbollah fighters have employed several lines of defense equipped with weapons capable of accurately targeting Israeli armored vehicles, tanks, and soldiers.
The Israeli media outlet also noted the difficulty faced by Israeli forces in identifying Hezbollah positions and addressing the threat posed by small, hard-to-detect drones used by the Lebanese fighters.
In an interview, Colonel Jack Neriya, a former advisor to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, stated that Hezbollah fighters had deliberately allowed Israeli forces to advance before trapping them with ambushes.
“This ambush tactic has created extreme challenges for Israeli forces, including elite units such as Golani and other commandos,” he said.
He warned that Israeli military casualties were alarmingly high, with the potential to exceed the total Israeli military fatalities since the late 1940s.
Hezbollah
Meanwhile, Hezbollah, in a statement, reported that since the start of Israel’s ground operations in southern Lebanon, 95 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 900 others injured.
Hezbollah fighters also claimed to have destroyed 42 Merkava tanks, four bulldozers, two Humvees, an armored vehicle, and a troop carrier during the southern Lebanon operations.
“Additionally, Hezbollah has successfully shot down three Hermes-450 drones and two Hermes-900 drones.”
Hezbollah noted that these statistics exclude damage sustained by the Israeli military at its bases, barracks, and in Israeli cities. — DSA