Israel launched a limited ground operation in southern Lebanon this week, intended to expand the de facto buffer zone which it has maintained along the border since the ceasefire of November 2024. At that time, Israel held control of five positions on the Lebanese side of the border. In response to Hezbollah’s decision to re-engage with Israel in the context of the current conflict between Jerusalem and Tehran, the IDF is pushing further into Lebanon.  

Israel is now bombing Hezbollah targets throughout the country. Ground forces, meanwhile, are cautiously pushing forward. According to Israeli media reports, the IDF’s goal is to establish 13 additional positions north of the border. Eight-hundred and eighty-six Lebanese have been killed and 2,141 wounded, according to Lebanese government figures. Twelve Israelis have been killed and 247 wounded. Hezbollah fire on Israel’s northern communities is continuing. Unlike in the previous round of fighting, the government of Israel has not evacuated border communities.  

If this all sounds like something you’ve heard before, that’s because it is. For those of us who spent part of our younger years defending Israel’s northern border, the familiarity is wearisome. I can only speak with certain knowledge for the Israeli side on this matter, but I suspect sentiments may not be too different among many on the other side too.  

Israel trusts only measurable and physical realities

Israel trusts only measurable and physical realities

The town of al-Khiam, for example, is hitting world headlines at the moment as a site of clashes between troops of the IDF’s 36th Division and Hezbollah fighters in the last couple of days. Khiam, located on high ground just a few kilometers from........

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