The threats from Hezbollah invading IDF forces may face - analysis - Yonah Jeremy Bob

 

by Yonah Jeremy Bob

One issue which may be less of a problem in southern Lebanon could be the issue of civilians in the crossfire of any invasion.

 

IDF reservists simulate operational and logistical preparedness in northern Israel, September 27, 2024.

(photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

If the IDF invades Lebanon in the near future, as expected, the military hopes to be better prepared for Hezbollah’s advantages and ambushes that it used effectively against the IDF during the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

It is expected that the IDF’s methods of maneuvering will be influenced by a number of factors. It wants to remove Hezbollah’s remaining Radwan Forces infrastructure, set up to invade Israel. However, it also wants to avoid real-time threats from anti-tank missiles, drones, and rockets.

Anti-tank missiles and rockets hit IDF soldiers particularly hard in 2006, and that was before they had such extensive drone capabilities.

More specifically, soldiers maneuvering within Lebanon could be more exposed to all of these threats than they have been in set defensive positions, often including underground positions or safe rooms, within Israel.

In Gaza, the IDF used a mix of highly armored Namer vehicles along with closer coordination with the air force, tank corps, and artillery to hit threats in advance so that they could not pick apart the IDF’s infantry.

With three divisions already on the border, two weeks of pounding Hezbollah and its leaders all over the country, and months of near-border missions, published by the Wall Street Journal on Monday, the hope is that invading IDF soldiers will be much less vulnerable than they were in 2006.

Issues with a potential invasion

A large part of how vulnerable the soldiers are will also depend on how deep the invasion ends up going into Lebanon, in which case the soldiers would become more vulnerable and maybe for longer, versus if it remains focused on areas closer to the Israeli border.

One issue that may be less of a problem in southern Lebanon could be the issue of civilians in the crossfire of any invasion.

So far, one million Lebanese civilians have already evacuated various areas in Lebanon, including southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and parts of Beirut, due to the nearly two weeks of airstrikes.

This may largely alleviate the civilian issue, at least if the invasion remains focused on southern Lebanon.

Yonah Jeremy Bob

Source:https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-822606

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