For some, it's already a second home; for others, it's a new sector they've learned and are still getting to know. But each of them feels the powerful strikes against Hezbollah up close and is part of the intensive activity. Three commanders tell us from the field about the fighting in the north, sharing feelings and moments that mark a change on the border line for them.
"For 11 months, we identified more and more enemy targets, gathered information on them, and closely monitored them," describes Captain Shmuel, a company commander in the 869 Intelligence Battalion, about the preparations for the extensive activity against Hezbollah, whose intensity is now clearly visible as part of Operation "Northern Arrows."
"Today," he continues in the same breath, "we're witnessing them being destroyed and disappearing from the map - this is the essence of all our work, over nearly a year, distilled into mere seconds."
The 869 Battalion is responsible for more than 120 eliminations so far since the beginning of the war, and now the intensity is only increasing. "Our mission, in the simplest terms, is to locate and destroy enemy forces on the Lebanon border," he explains.
"We operate at high intensity all the time, but in the end, those moments of closing the circle, and their meaning for the soldier at the end, are what allow us to continue with ambushes and round-the-clock activity, in heat and cold. As their commander - I know I can be proud."
Alongside attack missions, the intelligence soldiers play a significant role in defending Israeli territories and the border in the arena, and they are certainly not alone in the campaign - they operate in close cooperation with observations and infantry forces holding the line in the area.
The 300 Brigade isn't resting for a moment either. Its reserve battalions showed up to fight as early as October 7, and went straight into operational deployment for four months. "People arrived here even before we managed to call and ask them to come," says Major (res.) Gal, a company commander in the battalion, "from young 24-year-old fighters who just returned from their trips, to volunteers who crossed the age of 50 - everyone showed up without asking questions."
"The close work with forces of different expertise is new for us. We are a force composed largely of Golani reserve veterans," he notes, "but today the observations and armor are an integral part of us - we've created tremendous synergy."
Now, the battalion's fighters are in the sector for a second round, with renewed forces and extensive experience, knowing every path and route well. "Like everyone else, we are witnessing the severe blows the enemy is receiving."
In contrast, the reserve battalion of the Shu'alei HaMerom Brigade came up north only a few weeks ago, from Gaza and the West Bank, straight into the current operation and the increasing intensity in the area.
"The most important thing here is the resilience of the fighters," emphasizes Major (res.) Abraham, a company commander in the battalion, "Although this is our first time here, the real experience we gained in 150 days of fighting - is mainly mental."
The main challenge, according to the company commander, is the uncertainty and expectation of the unknown. "In recent days, I and the fighters in the battalion are at a real turning point," he testifies, "This transition from defense to offense infuses us with renewed strength. To know that we are at a historic point in time - changing the security reality here in the north."
"Without the families and the support we receive from the home front, we couldn't do anything here, they are the real engine of this fight," he declares wholeheartedly, "In the end, we're all here for one purpose - to bring quiet back to our country. The aspiration is to see as soon as possible the abandoned gardens and empty parks filling up again with joy, laughter, and color. Until then, we're here, giving everything and continuing to fight."
