Israel and Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed terror group in southern Lebanon, are near a war footing as Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets and projectiles at Israel over the weekend, causing widespread fires near Israel’s northern borders.
Israel had retaliated for a round of earlier attacks by targeting dozens of terrorist sites in southern Lebanon. Unlike Hezbollah, Israel targets military targets and not civilians; Hezbollah has targeted both since earlier October.
Amid the back-and-forth, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are preparing for war in the north, even as it works to end the war in Gaza with victory over the last remaining Hamas battalions in Gaza.
The IDF issued a statement Sunday:
This week, the IDF conducted an exercise in General Staff command centers as part of the IDF’s readiness for a campaign in the northern arena.
Regular and reservist soldiers participated in the exercise at the headquarters of the Northern Command and in all IDF branches and directorates. The exercise included scenarios simulating an expanded war in the northern arena, as well as multi-arena warfare.
As part of the exercise, the 36th Division conducted a broad division-level simulation that included combat scenarios in the northern arena.
During the exercise, the Chief of the General Staff, LTG Herzi Halevi, visited the Northern Command Operations Center, the command centers in the region and the Israeli Air Force Operations Center in the Kirya with the Commanding Officer of the Northern Command, MG Ori Gordin, the Commanding Officer of the Israeli Air Force, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, the Head of the Intelligence Directorate (J2), MG Aharon Haliva, the Head of the Operations Directorate (J3), MG Oded Basiuk and other commanders.
The IDF continues to strengthen its readiness at all times and learn lessons during the course of the war.
Hezbollah is violating United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, the resolution that ended the Second Lebanon War in 2006 and prohibited Hezbollah from locating military installations south of the Litani River.
Neither the Lebanese military nor the United Nations has been willing or able to enforce the resolution. President Joe Biden’s warning to Hezbollah and Iran in October — “don’t!” — has been ineffective in deterring the terrorist group.
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