WhatsappWhile politicians and diplomats continue talking about ceasefires and stability in Lebanon, the reality on the ground tells a very different story.
Over the past several days, IDF forces have uncovered fresh evidence that Hezbollah remains deeply entrenched throughout southern Lebanon, continuing to stockpile weapons, prepare for future attacks, and exploit civilian infrastructure despite years of international promises and United Nations resolutions.
Troops from the Givati Brigade operating north of the Litani River in the towns of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah and Zawtar al-Gharbiya recently located multiple Hezbollah weapons depots hidden inside civilian structures. According to the IDF, the caches contained firearms, anti-tank missiles, launchers, drones, and additional military equipment intended for future attacks against Israel.
These discoveries once again expose the failure of the international community’s approach to Lebanon. Hezbollah has systematically transformed civilian villages into military strongholds while hiding behind the Lebanese population and exploiting the world’s reluctance to confront the terror organization.
At the same time, another alarming reminder of the ongoing threat emerged along Israel’s northern border.
According to an initial IDF investigation, an armed gunman infiltrated Israeli territory near Margaliot before being located and killed by Israeli forces. The attacker, found approximately 1,200 meters inside Israel, was wearing a military uniform and carrying a handgun and knife. While investigators have not yet determined whether he was affiliated with Hezbollah or another terror group, the incident demonstrates that hostile actors continue attempting to penetrate Israeli territory despite repeated military setbacks.
Perhaps even more significant is a major development deeper inside southern Lebanon.
Lebanese media outlets reported that IDF forces have captured the village of Ghendourieh, located west of Wadi al-Hajir, also known as Wadi al-Saluki. Reports indicate that Israeli forces have begun the deliberate demolition and booby-trapping of structures inside the village—actions that can only be conducted after establishing firm operational control over the area.
This achievement carries historic significance.
Ghandouriyeh lies beyond the boundaries of Israel’s former security zone in southern Lebanon and marks the first time since the First Lebanon War that the IDF has captured the village. The operation demonstrates not only Israel’s operational freedom of action but also its willingness to pursue Hezbollah infrastructure wherever necessary to protect northern communities.
The capture of Ghandouriyeh, the discovery of Hezbollah weapons depots north of the Litani, and the infiltration attempt near Margaliot all point to the same unavoidable conclusion: the threat from Lebanon has not disappeared.
Every weapons cache discovered, every terrorist infiltration attempt, and every Hezbollah position uncovered reinforces the reality that southern Lebanon remains a forward operating base for Iran’s proxy army.
For years, the world insisted that UN Resolution 1701 would keep Hezbollah north of the Litani River. Instead, Hezbollah spent those years building tunnels, stockpiling missiles, embedding itself in civilian communities, and preparing for another war.
Israel cannot afford to return to that failed status quo.
The security of northern Israel will not be achieved through signatures on paper or promises from Beirut. It will be achieved through continued military pressure, aggressive intelligence operations, and maintaining the ability to strike Hezbollah wherever it seeks to rebuild.
The operations in Ghandouriyeh and elsewhere in southern Lebanon are not acts of escalation. They are acts of prevention.
As long as Hezbollah continues rearming and hostile operatives continue attempting to infiltrate Israeli territory, the IDF has both the right and the responsibility to act. The alternative is allowing the next threat to mature unchecked until it reaches Israeli homes and communities.
The lessons of October 7 are too painful—and too recent—to permit that mistake again.
