Israeli enemy soldiers are now restricting their movements in southern Lebanon to nighttime hours, after a daytime patrol near the Litani River ended in a deadly drone strike that killed a Golani Brigade platoon commander. That strike which also targeted the commander of the 36th Division has exposed what Israeli media calls a deepening military and political stalemate on the Lebanese front.
Israeli press reports have revealed a state of deep frustration and anger within the ranks and leadership of the Israeli army, as well as among settlers in the north, over what they describe as a military and political quagmire in Lebanon.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz confirmed that the army is stuck on a secondary front, unable to advance or impose a new security reality, while Hezbollah continues to dictate the pace of the battle.
‘The Horror of Drones’ and Lack of Discipline
Enemy military sources told Haaretz that “explosive drones” operated by Hezbollah using fiber optics have become the primary source of casualties among Israeli soldiers, as the army is unable to find technological or electronic solutions to intercept them.
Investigations indicated that a lack of operational discipline and failure to adhere to safety protocols have led to serious injuries, the most recent being the critical wounding of Colonel Meir Biderman, commander of the 401st Armored Brigade.
Reserve paratrooper Major Itamar Svir was also killed in a clash with a Hezbollah operative in southern Lebanon. During his active service, Svir was an officer in the elite Maglan unit. The newspaper noted that “a very thin layer of soldiers still bears the brunt of the war and pays the highest price.”
‘Hezbollah dictates the pace of operations and the conditions of the battle’
In a detailed incident revealed by Haaretz, Captain Maoz Yisrael Rkanati, a platoon commander in the Golani Brigade, was killed by a Hezbollah drone strike while providing security for the commander of the 36th Division, Brigadier General Yiftach Norkin, near the Litani River.
The newspaper confirmed that this patrol was conducted during the day, defying the risks posed by Hezbollah even though the army now restricts its movements in that area to nighttime hours for fear of drones.
Commenting on the incident, reserve Colonel Hanoch Dawba asserted that “the story goes beyond a simple error in the timing of a field tour,” emphasizing that the army does not possess genuine operational control over the area.
Dawba stated: “There is a presence and destruction of infrastructure, but the enemy, whom we were told had suffered a crushing blow, still dictates the pace of operations and the conditions of the battle.”
‘Dismantling Hezbollah is an impossible goal’
In the absence of a political vision, field commanders told Haaretz that their primary mission has become “bringing the soldiers home safely,” amid the ongoing threat from the Lebanese front.
Reserve Major General Tamir Hayman described the goal of “dismantling Hezbollah” as an impossible one, emphasizing that “the army is incapable of occupying Lebanon or disarming the party, especially given the severe manpower crisis.”
The newspaper noted that the Israeli chief of staff is raising “ten red flags” as a warning about the manpower situation within his army.
Return of the ‘Mud Belt’ and command paralysis
In a new admission reflecting the predicament of the occupation army in southern Lebanon, Reserve Colonel Hanoch Dawba acknowledged that the forces are experiencing a state of constant attrition and confusion under the weight of Hezbollah’s attacks. He described the situation on the ground as a “reproduction” of the pre-2000 period, when Israeli forces became “ducks in a shooting range.”
Dawba added, in a sharply critical tone: “This reality is reminiscent of the security zone of the 1990s. It is not a picture of victory, but rather evidence of erosion, stagnation, and a deep gap between the leadership’s pronouncements and the operational reality.”
Dawba, who criticized the highest levels of command, considered the continued reliance on “clearing operations and house demolitions” after two and a half years of fighting in Gaza and Lebanon to be a “professional and institutional disgrace.” He pointed out that the role of senior commanders is not only to send soldiers to their deaths, but also to study the enemy and adapt operational methods.
He also revealed the existence of a “toxic climate” within the occupation army, where professional skepticism from officers is portrayed as “weakness,” and operational caution is labeled as “a lack of offensive spirit.”
He stressed that the absence of clear political and military objectives has turned the fighters in the field into fuel for a “stalled” war, in light of the lack of a real professional debate about the feasibility of these operations a criticism that is “almost unheard” in the Israeli media, which still surrounds the “army” with an aura of sanctity despite its failures.
Source: Al-Manar English Website