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3. IDF Says It Has Encircled Bint Jbeil, Expands Ground Offensive in Southern Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces said over the past week its troops “completed the encirclement and began an offensive in the town of Bint Jbeil,” a locality long considered a stronghold of Hezbollah.

The IDF announced on Monday that its forces have intensified ground operations in southern Lebanon, particularly around the strategic town, as part of efforts to reinforce what it described as the “forward defensive line.”

According to a statement released by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, forces from the 98th Division, including brigade combat teams from the Paratroopers, Commando, and Givati units, have “expanded targeted ground activity” in southern Lebanon.

In a symbolic statement, the Israeli military said it took control of Bint Jbeil’s stadium, the site where former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah delivered a 2000 speech following Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon, in which he described Israel as “weaker than a spider web.”

In remarks to troops, 98th Division commander Brig. Gen. Guy Levy referenced the speech, saying: “Bint Jbeil 2000: Someone here spoke and boasted about webs and spiders. Today, that man no longer exists, the stadium is gone, and his words are worth nothing.”

IDF Eliminates Hezbollah Militants

In the course of the fighting, the IDF claimed its forces had “eliminated more than 100 Hezbollah militants in close-quarters combat and through airstrikes,” while also destroying “dozens of terrorist infrastructures” and locating “hundreds of weapons” in the area.

In recent days, the IDF has surrounded Bint Jbeil as part of ongoing efforts to clear what it describes as a Hezbollah stronghold of fighters and infrastructure according to a report by Channel 12. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported several airstrikes and troop activity around the city.

Based on IDF statements, 98th Division has played a central role in ground operations in the Gaza Strip and South Lebanon.The division assisted in dismantling “terrorist infrastructure” and eliminating militants in both close-quarters combat and coordinated air-ground operations. 

After operating in Gaza, where soldiers of the 98th Division gained significant operational experience and combat skills, the unit was redeployed north to Lebanon in 2024, where it is now conducting localized and targeted operations that began last night.