Since October 7, the specter of “infiltration” has become the greatest concern for residents of the northern Israeli settlements, with mounting fears of incursions that might be carried out by Hezbollah’s “Radwan” forces across the border. This danger, which brought to mind direct confrontation scenarios inside the settlements, has become a security priority for the Israeli military establishment, which prompted it to intensify its operations in Lebanese territory.
According to a report published by Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, an Israeli security official informed the heads of local authorities in the northern settlements that “the threat of infiltration has been removed,” referring to the danger of “Al-Radwan” forces. However, he acknowledged at the same time that “individual perpetrators may attempt to carry out attacks,” which reflects the continued presence of risks despite the military escalation.
The report explains that the Israeli army has strengthened its presence inside Lebanese territory, as its forces penetrated a number of border villages, as part of a plan aimed at establishing a “buffer zone” free of Hezbollah elements, and removing the threat of anti-armor missiles with a range of up to 10 kilometers, which greatly affects large areas of southern villages.
At the same time, the Israeli army increasingly relies on artillery and ground forces, with the air force focusing on the Iranian front, which has led to a significant rise in bombing intensity. The report quoted a military official as saying that the settlers “will hear more fire from our forces,” referring to an ongoing escalation whose effects will be directly reflected in the Lebanese border areas.
On the ground, four Israeli military teams are operating at a depth of about 8 kilometers inside Lebanese territory, in operations aimed at destroying Hezbollah’s military structure, which indicates a trend towards imposing a new security reality in the south by force.
For Lebanon, these developments mean that the south has entered a more sensitive phase, where escalation is no longer limited to mutual bombardment, but rather is moving towards expanding ground operations and imposing new field equations, which opens the door to a long confrontation that goes beyond the traditional limits of engagement.
