Smoke billows over Beirut’s southern suburbs, after an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon, November 26, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
On the third day of the ceasefire with Hezbollah, Israel Defense Forces published a summary of “Operation Northern Arrows,” its military offensive in southern Lebanon that began with massive airstrikes on Sept. 23 and culminated with the ground operation that began on Oct. 1.
The operation succeeded in deposing almost the entire Hezbollah leadership, including its leader Hassan Nasrallah, and severely degraded its weapons arsenal.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF), Navy and artillery collectively struck more than 12,500 Hezbollah targets, including 1,600 military command centers and headquarters, and destroyed over 1,000 weapons warehouses.
While most of the targets were located close to the border – many serving as infrastructure for Hezbollah’s plan to “conquer the Galilee” – the IDF also struck targets deep within Lebanese territory.
According to the military, 360 sites were attacked in Beirut, including 20 that were struck within two minutes shortly before the start of the ceasefire.
In addition, approximately 1,000 targets were struck in the Bekaa Valley, a region in northeastern Lebanon predominantly populated by Shia Muslim Hezbollah supporters. The area housed significant strategic assets for the terror group, including underground missile factories, infrastructure for weapons smuggling and hidden depots.
⭕️70% of Hezbollah’s UAV stockpile and most of the cruise missile inventory of Hezbollah’s Aerial Unit (127) were destroyed yesterday.
As part of the IDF’s operational activity in Lebanon, IAF fighter jets launched a comprehensive strike last night, prior to the ceasefire… pic.twitter.com/4AZvM6MgDl
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 27, 2024
The Israeli ground operations in Lebanon began with small, precise commando raids by special forces long before the large offensive was declared on Oct. 1. As soon as the larger offensive began, the IDF quickly moved in large numbers of troops, reaching between four to five divisions at the peak.
Overall, 14 brigade battlegroups took part in the operations. Israeli special forces carried out over 100 raids, while the large, combined infantry and armored forces carried out 24 operations at the divisional level.
The ground forces focused on capturing and clearing the southern Lebanese villages that had served as Hezbollah launch pads for rocket and drone attacks over the past year.
After the villages were cleared of terrorists, Israeli soldiers systematically began to comb through them, locating, confiscating, as well as destroying infrastructure and the massive amount of weapons hidden there.
IDF troops confiscated about 12,000 charges, drones and explosive weapons; over 13,000 anti-tank launchers and missiles, rockets and anti-aircraft missiles; and more than 121,000 communication devices, computers, electronic equipment and documents.
In total, over 155,000 items were confiscated and huge amounts of weapons and munitions were detonated in the field.
The IDF estimates “with a high level of confidence” that at least 2,500 terrorists were eliminated during the fighting.
Since the beginning of the war, 176 senior Hezbollah commanders have been eliminated, with the most senior being Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah. Among the senior figures eliminated are members of the Jihad Council: Fouad Shakar (head of strategic arrays), Ibrahim Aqil… pic.twitter.com/60TuaBlXtE
— Israel-Alma (@IsraelAlmaorg) November 28, 2024
However, with thousands of bodies still not yet recovered across Lebanon, Reuters cited informed sources who claim that Hezbollah believes the number could reach as high as 4,000. Lebanese authorities have said some 3,800 people were killed in the war, without distinguishing between civilians and Hezbollah forces.
The most important eliminations were the strikes that killed Nasrallah, and several days later, his designated successor, Hashem Safi al-Din, both in underground bunkers in Dahiyeh, Hezbollah’s stronghold in Beirut.
In addition, the IDF said 12 more members of Hezbollah’s senior leadership were killed.
“Among the senior figures eliminated are members of the Jihad Council: Fouad Shukr (head of strategic arrays), Ibrahim Aqil (head of operations), Ali Karaki (commander of the Southern Front), Suheil Hussein Husseini (head of the staff),” wrote Alma Research Center, an Israeli security think tank focusing on the northern border.
“Since the beginning of the war, 176 senior Hezbollah commanders have been eliminated.”
The IDF said it killed four terrorists at the rank of division commander, 24 at the rank of brigade commander, 27 at the rank of battalion commander, 63 at the rank of company commander, and 22 platoon commanders.
“The eliminations of senior commanders, who had extensive experience and comprehensive professional knowledge, have significantly impacted Hezbollah’s capabilities. These individuals, long known for their involvement in terrorist activities, were key experts in their fields, and their elimination directly affected Hezbollah’s organizational ability, coordination, and operational continuity as a terrorist army,” according to Alma.
In particular, the IDF targeted Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, an elite unit tasked with conquering the Galilee in a future conflict.
The IDF destroyed more than 1,500 offensive positions, including tunnels, staging areas, and launch sites, along with over 160 military headquarters and command centers, and more than 150 ammunition depots.
