Over & Over Again – IDF launches sixth major ground operation in Lebanon in past 20 years

Military experts, such as Brigadier General (Res.) Amir Avivi, founder of the Israel Defense and Security Forum (IDSF), argue that a “sterile” buffer zone south of the Litani River is a strategic necessity.

By Hezy Laing

The current IDF incursion into southern Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah missile attacks is not the first or even the second time Israel has entered the area.

In fact, it’s the sixth time the IDF has needed to go into the area to prevent missile and terror attacks on Israeli territory in the past 20 years.

These repeated campaigns have taken a terrible toll.

Five hundred nine IDF soldiers have lost their lives reconquering and securing the area – only to have Israel surrender it again to the Hezbollah terror organization.

Already in the current campaign, two IDF soldiers have been killed and several seriously injured.

Previous major IDF ground entries into Southern Lebanon include:

The Second Lebanon War (2006): A 34-day full-scale invasion featuring major maneuver brigades in areas like Bint Jbeil and Maroun al-Ras.
Operation Northern Shield (2018–2019): A six-week engineering and special forces mission to neutralize Hezbollah’s cross-border attack tunnels.

Targeted Raids (2020–2021): Multiple multiweek incursions focused on destroying observation posts and border infrastructure.

The 2024 Operation (Sept.–Oct.): A large-scale maneuver by Division 98 and additional brigades intended to push Hezbollah north of the Litani River.

The Iron Swords campaign (2025): Sustained periods of raids and limited incursions throughout the year targeting launch sites and military infrastructure.

This repetitive “yo-yo” warfare has led to significant debate regarding the heavy cost in human life, with critics pointing to the hundreds of IDF soldiers killed in these recurring efforts to neutralize Hezbollah infrastructure that inevitably regenerates once Israeli forces retreat.

Following incessant PLO rocket fire and cross-border terror attacks, Israel established a security zone in southern Lebanon in 1982 to push hostile forces away from its northern border and reduce the danger to Israeli towns in the Galilee.

The zone stabilized the frontier, protected civilians in the Galilee and supported allied local militias operating against hostile groups.

This 10-mile-wide strip was held by the IDF and the South Lebanon Army (SLA) until 2000, when former Prime Minister Ehud Barak retreated from the zone, abandoning it to Hezbollah.

In the context of Operation Roaring Lion, some Israeli political and military figures argue that a permanent annexation or long-term occupation of southern Lebanon is the only way to prevent Hezbollah from launching recurring attacks.

Proponents of this view, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and opposition leader Yair Lapid, suggest creating a “sterile” security zone or “buffer” south of the Litani River to ensure that northern Israeli residents can finally return home without the threat of tunnels, anti-tank missiles, or cross-border infiltrations

The argument for annexing or permanently occupying southern Lebanon has shifted from the political fringes to mainstream military discourse as Hezbollah’s persistence renders traditional deterrence ineffective.

Military experts, such as Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Amir Avivi, founder of the Israel Defense and Security Forum (IDSF), argue that a “sterile” buffer zone south of the Litani River is a strategic necessity.

Avivi maintains that without a permanent IDF presence, any withdrawal would inevitably allow Hezbollah to rebuild its tunnel networks and anti-tank positions right on Israel’s border.