Katz orders IDF to accelerate destruction of Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon

Defense Minister Israel Katz has directed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to intensify efforts to destroy Hezbollah's terror infrastructure in southern Lebanon. The accelerated campaign focuses on Hezbollah strongholds, primarily Shi'ite villages that have been developed over two decades with Iranian funding.

According to IDF officers in the Northern Command, Hezbollah, guided by Iran, established a strategic plan centered on military infrastructure within these villages. Key areas targeted include Kafr Kila, Al Khiam, Bint Jbeil, and Taibe. These locations are strategically positioned along routes that hinder Israeli ground maneuvers into Lebanon while enabling Hezbollah to quickly launch attacks toward the Israeli border. IDF searches have uncovered extensive facilities used by terrorists as long-term shelters, allowing them to conduct surprise attacks.

The IDF operations have also located significant weapons depots, command centers, observation posts, and launch sites. Beyond destruction, the IDF is working to create new routes for easier access to operational areas, enhancing force security and facilitating faster supply deliveries for maintenance and repair of combat vehicles. Some villages were designed as military "fortresses" offering substantial protection against airstrikes, with infrastructure hidden beneath civilian homes.

Security officials claim the Lebanese army has not met expectations in dismantling Hezbollah's infrastructure, possibly due to fear of the organization. Consequently, the IDF believes its engineering activities are crucial to collapsing Hezbollah's strategic network. The IDF is employing its engineering capabilities to systematically destroy these sites, including those in smaller villages like Beit al Sayyad, south of Tyre.