Israeli forces are closing in on complete capture of Bint Jbeil, a symbolic Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon, having killed over 100 operatives including elite Radwan Force members during intensive operations, the IDF announced Monday. The 98th Division, supported by Paratroopers, Commandos, and Givati Infantry Brigade, encircled the town to prevent reinforcement or escape before launching offensive operations.
Military officials estimate approximately 150 Hezbollah fighters occupied the Bint Jbeil area at operation’s outset. Through combined close-quarters combat and air strikes, Israeli troops eliminated more than 100 terrorists, destroyed dozens of infrastructure sites, and seized hundreds of weapons. Commandos conducted specialized operations to secure key terrain as the division systematically cleared the urban center.
The IDF reports no detected attacks originating from Bint Jbeil since offensive commencement, though troops continue receiving sporadic fire from remaining holdouts. Commanders anticipate several additional days to eliminate final few dozen operatives and complete infrastructure mapping.
Bint Jbeil carries profound symbolic weight in Israeli-Hezbollah conflict history. Following Israel’s 2000 withdrawal from southern Lebanon after eighteen-year occupation, then-Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah delivered his infamous “weaker than a spider web” speech in the town. During the 2006 Second Lebanon War, Israeli forces battled in Bint Jbeil but failed to achieve full capture—making current operations a potential redemption of that incomplete mission.
The town’s fall would represent significant tactical and psychological blow to Hezbollah, demonstrating Israeli capability to seize previously impregnable strongholds despite militia’s defensive preparations and intimate knowledge of local terrain.
