The Israeli military is establishing a long-term presence in southern Lebanon up to a depth of 12 kilometers from the border, extending burned zones and reinforcing combat positions north of the “Yellow Line” as operations continue. According to reports from the Israeli site Ynet and local southern sources, the military is improving access roads, setting up fortified sites, and preparing heated, air-conditioned accommodations inside villages for soldiers staying through the winter.
Reserve forces rotate out of Lebanon as new troops occupy fortified winter complexes
The operational pivot comes as reserve forces rotate out of the region. Ynet reported that the 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade concluded roughly 100 days of mobilization, including 80 days of operations inside Lebanon spanning the border up to the 12-kilometer depth. Troops from the Bislamach Brigade and the officer training course’s Ghafen Battalion have replaced the 55th Brigade to secure observation points and fire control positions.
Security officials cited by Ynet noted that troops will occupy fortified complexes inside Lebanese villages this winter. These buildings were outfitted during the summer with generators, air conditioners, and sanitary facilities alongside pre-arranged transit routes. The military aims to prevent the degradation of readiness that officials fear could result from merely holding a thin deployment line.
Did You Know? The 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade completed roughly 100 days of mobilization, spending about 80 of those days operating in southern Lebanon between the border and the “Yellow Line.”
Military establishes seventeen new permanent sites and widens artillery strikes
Local and security sources in southern Lebanon report that the military has established 17 new permanent military sites since May, while widening artillery fire and air strikes into a second tier of villages bordering the Yellow Line. Firing and combing operations have reached the outskirts of Wadi Zaqqoun in the western sector and the town of Meifdoun in the eastern sector, aiming to render these areas uninhabited danger zones.
Official reporting from Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency detailed heavy artillery and air raids striking Kfar Tibnit, the area between Arnoun and Kfar Tibnit, Meifdoun’s Haret al-Baydar school neighborhood, and Douhet Kfar Ruman. Additional strikes hit the outskirts of Haris and Haddatha in the central sector, while a Merkava tank targeted Houla with several shells.
Other reported strikes included the outskirts of Shaqra in the Bint Jbeil district, the Kushnin grove, and Wadi al-Hujayr, with blasts heard in and around the city of Saida. In the western sector, the military conducted intermittent shelling in Al-Bayyada and Tayr Harfa, and shelling reached Wadi Hassan near Majdal Zoun. A violent explosion occurred in Al-Mansouri, with sounds reaching Mount Lebanon, following an earlier blast on the outskirts of Baraashit in the Bint Jbeil district. A suspicious object from Israeli remnants also exploded on the outskirts of Srifa.
Soldiers sustain injuries from grenade mishandling and vehicle collision
Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced on Sunday that an officer and a regular soldier sustained injuries in Majdal Zoun on Friday after a grenade was improperly handled, leaving the soldier in serious condition and the officer with moderate wounds. In a separate incident on Friday, eight Israeli soldiers were injured following a collision between two military vehicles in southern Lebanon. The military has opened investigations into both incidents.
Strategic Shifts and Regional Diplomacy
Israeli media reports suggest a new “advanced defense” concept where the defense of Nahariya begins inside Majdal Zoun rather than at the border. Simultaneously, reports from Channel 12 cite unnamed Lebanese military sources claiming Hezbollah is moving precision missiles, defense systems, and ammunition deeper into Jebel Safi, Jebel al-Rayhan, and the Apple Region after losing strategic sites and tunnels near the Ali al-Tahir heights.
Diplomatically, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan to discuss the disarmament of Hezbollah and the “tripartite framework” for Lebanon. King Abdullah II emphasized the need for a comprehensive truce and noted that the “Aqaba path” meeting in France focused on international support for the Lebanese army to maintain national security. Meanwhile, Lebanese officials expressed concern over the lack of an agreed-upon international force to replace UNIFIL when its mandate ends this year.
Israeli forces operate up to twelve kilometers deep in southern Lebanon
How deep into southern Lebanon have Israeli forces established operations?
Operations and logistical preparations extend to a depth of roughly 12 kilometers from the border, reaching up to what the military designates as the “Yellow Line.”
What injuries were recently reported among Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon?
The Israeli military reported that an officer and a soldier were injured in Majdal Zoun from an improperly handled grenade, while eight other soldiers were hurt in a separate vehicle collision.
How will the establishment of permanent forward bases and winter fortifications alter long-term security along the southern Lebanese border?
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