According to them, the Israeli military had so far decided against ordering evacuations, but officials described its success in intercepting drones from Lebanon as “very partial”. Army officials also said no time limit had been set for the current operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon and warned that a “long war” was likely.
Haaretz said Israeli military officials believe Hezbollah is significantly weaker than it was during Israel’s previous operation in Lebanon in 2024, describing the group as being in a “difficult situation”.
Read: Israeli attacks kill nearly 300 since Monday
According to Haaretz, officials said Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force is now operating only north of the Litani River rather than close to the Israeli border, making it more vulnerable to attack. They said the unit was still rebuilding its command structure after many of its senior officers were killed during Israel’s 2024 campaign.
The report added that Israeli officials believe joint Israeli-American attacks on Iran have cut Hezbollah off from some of its funding and weapons supply, leaving the group largely isolated from Tehran and fighting Israel more independently.
Hezbollah’s intervention on Iran’s behalf had created tension between Iran and Lebanon, according to Israeli military officials.
Officials claimed the Israeli military had destroyed hundreds of buildings in Lebanon so far, including 50 multi-storey structures. Air strikes on Beirut’s Dahiyeh district would continue, they said, because it remained an important Hezbollah operations hub.
Read more: Nearly 400 Lebanese killed, over 1,110 injured in ongoing Israeli attacks
According to Haaretz, Israeli military sources said Saturday’s strike on a hotel in Beirut targeting Iranian officials marked a shift in approach, with the army previously avoiding attacks on targets in especially sensitive locations.
Haaretz said the military was also operating in the Bekaa Valley, where Hezbollah has allegedly been launching rockets and drones.
The IDF’s Northern Command had been preparing for the possibility of Hezbollah entering the war for months before the attack on Iran began. Once Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel, those plans were immediately activated, army sources told Haaretz.
Those preparations included strikes on senior Hezbollah figures and Iranian Quds Force officials in Lebanon, who were said to be involved in both directing the fighting and maintaining links between Iran and Hezbollah.
Israeli officials said their forces were trying to prevent three main threats from Lebanon: a ground incursion into Israel, continued rocket and drone fire, and any effort by Hezbollah to rebuild its strength.