The Israeli Army has reported this Sunday the start of a reconnaissance operation carried out from its positions in Syria in the direction of southern Lebanon, the first action of this type within the framework of the offensive aimed at securing control of the entire southern Lebanese strip up to the Litani River.
According to the military statement, members of the Alpine Unit "have completed a specific operation to thwart the attempts of terrorist organizations", alluding to Hezbollah militias "to establish themselves in the Lebanese border area".
The incursion has begun on the summit of Mount Hermon, under Israeli control since the fall at the end of 2024 of the now former Syrian president Bashar al Assad, and has advanced to the Shebaa Farms, another border enclave in southern Lebanon under Israeli occupation and whose sovereignty is claimed by the Lebanese Government.
During the mission, the alpine unit will also "explore the area, gather intelligence information, and locate enemy terrorist infrastructures in the area, using the unique capabilities and tools of the mountain commando unit."
The operation has taken place a few hours after Israeli troops reached this Saturday, for the first time since the military offensive in southern Lebanon began a week ago, the southern bank of the Litani River, a declared objective of the campaign, according to Hezbollah.
The Lebanese party-militia has indicated that Israeli forces have reached the town of Taibe, in the Marjayoun district, located on the southern bank of the river, where they would have been ambushed by its fighters, according to information from the Lebanese newspaper "L'Orient-Le Jour", at the end of a particularly bloody day for the Lebanese population due to Israeli bombings, which have left at least 47 dead and more than a hundred wounded.
For its part, Israel has confirmed the death of a soldier in recent hours in the south of the country, identified as Sergeant Moshe Katz, originally from Connecticut (United States).