On Monday night, after leaks from Washington and ample hints from Israeli leaders, IDF troops from the 98th Division crossed into Lebanon.
It was the first time Israel had operated overtly and in force across its northern border in the year-long fight that Hezbollah started on October 8, 2023.
Though the move is occupying headlines and the attention of world leaders, the scale of the operation shouldn’t be overstated.
The operation, which really can’t be called a full ground maneuver, has troops moving a few hundred yards — and in some cases a couple of kilometers — into Lebanon.
So far, there have not been clashes with enemy fighters, since Hezbollah simply is not there anymore. It didn’t flee in the face of charging IDF columns; Hezbollah pulled most of its elite Radwan force from the border once the potential for a surprise invasion of the north disappeared with Hamas’s attacks on October 7.
Read the full article at the Times of Israel.
