The IDF’s invasion of southern Lebanon on Monday night was spearheaded by Division 98 under the command of Brig. Gen. Guy Levi, who also led the commando unit, the Egoz special forces unit, the Paratroopers Brigade, and Brigade 7 of the Tank Corps.
Division 98 had previously made headlines for dismantling Hamas’ strongest brigade in Khan Yunis during a decisive campaign from December 2023 to March 2024.
Right before advancing, Egoz Commander Lt. Col. “A” addressed the troops: “We have the great honor of writing history in the North, just like we did in Gaza. We began with smaller operations, but tonight, we are launching a more substantial invasion to bring the northern residents back to their homes. This is significant, as we have not invaded Lebanon since 2006. I trust you, am immensely proud of you, and know we will continue to make history.”
The ground assault into southern Lebanon was confirmed by Israel’s military in the early hours of Tuesday morning, amid escalating clashes with Hezbollah. “The IDF has commenced limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon,” the military stated.
The IDF also noted that this operation is part of a “methodical plan set out by the General Staff and the Northern Command, for which soldiers have been training and preparing over recent months.”
* Ynet contributed to this article.