IDF chief orders troop reinforcements as Lebanon conflict intensifies

The military also expects to approach 1,000 attacks in Lebanon in the coming days.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir ordered significant reinforcements to Israel’s northern front on Wednesday, redeploying the Golani Brigade from Gaza and bolstering Northern Command as Israeli operations in Lebanon expand and the military signals a possible increase in ground forces involvement there.

Despite the buildup, Home Front Command Chief Maj. Gen. Shai Klepper said Wednesday evening that civilian security guidelines would remain unchanged for now and would be reviewed again over the weekend, The Jerusalem Post reported.

“I know that with the renewal of fighting on the northern front, feelings of discomfort and uncertainty have resurfaced,” Klepper said. “At the same time, I want to say that the IDF is beyond the border, defending the residents of the north and operating to directly and significantly weaken Hezbollah.”

The IDF has already moved the 36th and 91st divisions deeper into southern Lebanon than originally planned. The 146th and 210th divisions have also widened their operations beyond the five outposts Israel maintained near the border after the November 2024 ceasefire with Hezbollah.

Israeli troops have reported more direct clashes with Hezbollah fighters as they patrol newly entered areas, and the military said it is uncovering additional weapons storage sites inside southern Lebanon.

At the same time, Hezbollah has managed several ambushes against Israeli forces.

According to some reports, the group has used drones and other advanced methods to track troops, along with poor information security by soldiers posting their positions on social media.

The Golani Brigade’s transfer north points to a broader combat role. The brigade is the IDF’s principal large-scale offensive maneuver force and is not usually shifted into a sector for routine guard duty.

The military also expects to approach 1,000 attacks in Lebanon in the coming days, including dozens of major airstrikes in Beirut’s Dahiyeh neighborhood, Hezbollah’s stronghold.

At the same time, the Israeli Air Force launched another wide-scale wave of strikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps infrastructure across Iran. The IDF said fighter jets hit operatives from Iran’s drone array at a launch site in western Iran shortly before they were set to launch drones toward Israel.

“On Monday, the Israel Air Force identified several operatives from the Iranian terrorist regime drone array at a launch site in western Iran,” the IDF said.

The military said it was continuing to target missile-related infrastructure in western Iran “to reduce, to the extent possible, the scope of missile fire toward Israeli territory.”