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fighting the war as if there are no negotiations, and
negotiating as if there is no war
Avi Melamed

It is dangerous to be found in the company of God's enemies

Operation Northern Arrows - 03 October 2024

The Israeli army on 03 October 2024 called on the residents of five buildings located in the southern suburb of Beirut and those living nearby to evacuate their homes "immediately" for their "safety." The statement, which was accompanied by diagrams identifying the locations of the affected buildings in the southern suburb, was specifically addressed to Lebanese residents in five buildings in Haret Hreik, Burj al-Barajneh, and Hadath Gharb. The statement read: "You are located near dangerous facilities belonging to Hezbollah... For your safety and the safety of your families, we ask you to evacuate these buildings immediately and stay away from them for a distance of no less than 500 meters."

On the night of 03 October 2024, the Israeli army launched more than 25 raids on the southern suburb, which were described as the most violent since the raids began, Dozens of loud explosions were heard in the Mrayjeh area in the southern suburb of Lebanon's capital Beirut, just past midnight on Friday 04 October 2024, due to an Israeli air raid. Residents of Saida and Sur in southern Lebanon heard the loud explosions, which speaks to the magnitude of the strikes launched by Israeli warplanes. The targeted site is in close proximity to the Beirut International Airport, which can be seen in the background of circulating footage of the strikes. It is worth noting that the targeted area is a heavily populated residential area in Lebanon.

In key analyses presented by the Israeli KAN channel, Israeli Reserve Major General and former "National Security Council" head, Uzi Dayan, pointed out that "Israel" has experience in Lebanon, and it should always remember what should and should not be done there. In response to a question about whether "Israel" would learn from past failures in Lebanon, another former National Security Council head, Reserve Major General Yaakov Amidror, recalled that in the 2006 war, the Israeli military failed and was not prepared, lacked good intelligence on Lebanon, and did not have proper plans for the war, while its combat technique was "at rock bottom."

Amidror suggested that "in this operation, it must be entirely clear what the [Israeli] government wants and what the army’s plans are to achieve that." He also pointed out that "Israel's" planned goals of "pushing Hezbollah back at least to the Litani River and 10 kilometers beyond will take a long time."

On his part, Guy Tzur, former commander of the Israeli ground forces, told KAN that since 1982, Hezbollah has acted in a very similar manner, meaning its fighters do not flee but rely on positioning with long-range fire from concealed areas, adding that "it will be no different this time, and we will pay heavy prices and have casualties... war is war." In the same context, the Israeli Channel 13 highlighted that after the 2006 July War, relative deceptive calm prevailed in South Lebanon, during which Hezbollah strengthened its combat capabilities and tunnel networks. Channel 13 indicated that "Israel's" new round on Lebanese soil is expected to be "long, complicated, and costly." This comes as Hezbollah fighters continued to repel Israeli forces’ attempts to infiltrate South Lebanon.

The Israeli military repeatedly claimed that its ground incursion into South Lebanon will be "limited, localized and targeted'' against Hezbollah, but the recent announcement of the deployment of a fifth division of soldiers to the border area with Lebanon suggests that "Israel" is preparing for a long and difficult battle against a well-armed and advanced force, The New York Times reported, citing experts.

“This is not a stroll in the park,” said retired Israeli colonel Miri Eisin, pointing out that "this is going to be hard, just like it was hard against Hamas," referring to the Israeli ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. The newspaper noted that the Israeli military has not disclosed the number of troops sent to take part in the offensive against Lebanon, citing security reasons.

Typically, according to Eisin, three divisions are stationed in northern occupied Palestine, and two additional divisions that fought in Gaza over the past year have recently joined them. The retired Israeli colonel noted that the area in South Lebanon where Israeli forces are deployed is much larger than Gaza and the rugged terrain is more difficult to navigate, adding further complications. Moreover, the NYT suggested that "Hezbollah fighters are better armed and trained than Hamas, which will make for a far more difficult fight."

It recalled that the Israeli military confirmed that eight of its soldiers had been killed in the first day and a half of battles in Lebanon, a relatively high toll compared to daily casualties during the war on Gaza. The toll followed a tightly coordinated ambush by the Resistance, involving elite soldiers who attempted to infiltrate the town of Odeisseh from the direction of Khallet al-Mahafer. The ambush came after the Resistance had detected Israeli recon troop movement on Tuesday morning.

This marked the first attempt by Israeli forces to infiltrate South Lebanon since the Israeli military announced the commencement of a ground incursion in the area overnight. "And then there is the terrain: high hills and steep gullies that tax an infantry force far more quickly than the comparatively flat land of Gaza," the newspaper concluded.

Israeli media discussed what it referred to as the "deep and sinking Lebanese quagmire," coinciding with several failed attempts by the Israeli occupation military to infiltrate South Lebanon, predicting a "long and complicated round" of confrontations with Hezbollah.

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon confirmed that the total number of explosive devices detonated against the infiltrating Israeli forces in the towns of Maroun al-Ras and Yaroun on 03 October 2024, from the early hours of dawn until noon, reached four, resulting in major and substantial losses to the enemy forces. Fighters of the Islamic Resistance targeted an advancing Israeli infantry unit attempting to infiltrate the cemetery of the town of Yaroun with an explosive device, inflicting casualties among the unit's members. In addition, Hezbollah's fighters targeted, also with an explosive device, a force from the Golani Brigade in the Tartira area in Maroun al-Ras, which was attempting to maneuver from the western side of the town, dealing casualties among the occupation forces.

Earlier, Islamic Resistance fighters targeted an Israeli infantry unit attempting to infiltrate Lebanese territory toward Maroun al-Ras with two explosive devices. The fighters of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon also successfully confronted an attempt by Israeli occupation forces to advance at the Fatima Gate in South Lebanon using artillery shells.

Under the "permitted for publish" clause, Israeli media confirmed the killing of two additional soldiers from the Golani Brigade by an anti-tank missile during the battles with Hezbollah and the severe wounding of seven others. Israeli military confirmed that eight of its soldiers, including two captains, were killed in battles with Hezbollah at the southern Lebanese border.

The toll followed a tightly coordinated ambush by the Resistance, involving elite soldiers who attempted to infiltrate the town of Odeisseh from the direction of Khallet al-Mahafer. The ambush came after the Resistance had detected Israeli recon troop movemen. This marked the first attempt by Israeli forces to infiltrate southern Lebanon since the Israeli military announced the commencement of a ground incursion in the area.

The Chief of Staff, Lt. Col. Herzi Halevi, held during the holiday on 03 October 2024 a situation assessment in the fronts of the 98th and 36th Divisions, which are currently operating in southern Lebanon. The Chief of Staff's full words:

"Throughout the holiday, the IDF continues to fight vigorously in Lebanon and in other combat arenas. Today I met the commanders and fighters of Division 98 and Division 36, who are fighting in Lebanon, for a very important purpose - creating security in the north, and returning the residents to their homes after more than a year of being evacuated.

"The return of the residents is to destroy the terrorist infrastructure that Hezbollah built near the border, so that it can raid our settlements on the day of the order, killing Israeli civilians. We are very determined to destroy these infrastructures and kill whoever is there. We will not allow Hizbollah to settle in these places in the future. The severe damage to Hezbollah in all sectors in Beirut, in the Lebanon Valley, in South Lebanon will continue.

"Our forces in Lebanon eliminate more and more terrorists, every such encounter ends with us having the upper hand. Our forces are ready and trained more than ever, loaded with experience from fighting in Gaza and their advantage in the battlefield is clear. The forces are accompanied by fire capabilities from the air and from the ground, and fight with great courage.

"Today I saw the initial findings from the battles in which we lost brave fighters, who fell heroically, while fighting Hezbollah terrorists. I saw commanders who in the face of fire went forward, led, and fighting with them, bravely, overwhelming the enemy. We will continue to fight in light of the bravery of the warriors, and we will accompany and hug their dear families.

"I also met here today the reservists, who left their homes, their families and their jobs, are here with us, with a lot of experience, with a lot of knowledge and with a strong spirit. I am full of respect for the reservists, the fighters and the regular soldiers and commanders, and all the families. We will continue to fight in all the decrees, in order to bring better security to the State of Israel at the beginning of the year of Tashfa."