Hezbollah strengthens southern defenses ahead of Israeli operations

A report by the Israeli newspaper Maariv stated that “Hezbollah is more prepared for confrontation than ever before.”

According to correspondent and military analyst Avi Ashkenazi, “The soldiers of the 603rd Engineering Battalion have been stationed for two weeks in advanced defensive lines in southern Lebanon, aiming to keep Hezbollah operatives away from areas near the northern settlements. The forces are now working along the second and third lines of villages in the south.”

He added, “The 36th Division of the Israeli army has found during its confrontation with Hezbollah that the group is well-prepared, having built defensive lines and formations that enable them to engage Israeli forces during the ground operation.”

According to testimonies from Israeli fighters and leaders over the past few days, “Hezbollah operatives engage with Israeli army forces that reach their defensive lines, though not on a large scale.”

The commander of the 603rd Engineering Battalion spoke about the confrontation with Hezbollah this time, saying, “They are a smart enemy, operating differently than during the ‘Northern Arrows’ operation,” and described the trajectory of fire directed at Israeli forces as “sharp.”

Israeli incursion in southern Lebanon (photo published by Adraee on X).

He said, “The Israeli army sees that Hezbollah has thoroughly studied its preparations and combat methods and is looking for its weaknesses.”

The Israeli engineering battalion commander also spoke about the biggest challenge for the Israeli army, which is “Hezbollah cells responsible for launching anti-tank missiles,” noting that “our role is to uncover these cells and their infrastructure and destroy them.”

He continued, “We expected there to be less infrastructure after the ‘Northern Arrows’ operation, but we misjudged and found underground structures in villages and tunnels connecting buildings.”

According to the Israeli officer, “During the past phase, Hezbollah has been working on transferring large quantities of weapons and explosive materials.”

He also confirmed that “There are more organized preparations by Hezbollah in the second line of defense,” noting that “if the Israeli army were not present in southern Lebanon, the settlements would have been attacked.”

Hezbollah strengthens southern defenses ahead of Israeli operations

Hezbollah strengthens southern defenses ahead of Israeli operations

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