How Did Hezbollah Ensnare Dozens of Israeli Soldiers at the Border?

By Al Mayadeen English

The Israeli occupation forces are losing terribly at the occupied Palestinian-Lebanese border area, with Hezbollah dealing heavy blow after blow to the forces who cannot manage to invade.

The fighters of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah carried out a meticulously planned ambush on an elite Israeli force in the Odeisseh region of South Lebanon, causing significant casualties among the Israeli soldiers, field sources in the Resistance told Al Mayadeen on Wednesday morning.

According to the sources, Islamic Resistance fighters had been monitoring Israeli recon troops in the early hours of Tuesday as they moved through a non-open area across Odeisseh. Despite detecting the enemy force, the Resistance fighters refrained from engaging them, allowing the Israeli reconnaissance mission to proceed and return unharmed, allowing them to carry out a more decisive strike later.

Based on the movements and behavior of the Israeli forces, the Resistance fighters prepared an advanced ambush in the al-Mahafer/Odeisseh region, the sources said. They picked a strategic location within a house in the area as their location of choice.

At dawn Wednesday, more than 30 Israeli soldiers and officers began a silent advance into the ambush zone. The Israeli force, unaware of the trap, moved closer to the Resistance’s position, the sources said. Once they were in the ambush zone, which was near the Lebanese-Israeli border, the Resistance fighters sprang into action, initiating the ambush with the phrase, "At your service, Nasrallah."

The ambush started with heavy gunfire and RPGs, with Resistance fighters engaging the Israeli soldiers at point-blank range. The intensity of the attack led to a number of casualties among the Israeli elite troops, whose cries and screams echoed throughout the area, according to the sources.

Tightening the noose

While the ambush was unfolding, a nearby support group from the Resistance targeted enemy supply lines to prevent reinforcements from reaching the ensnared Israeli force. This secondary operation struck the settlements of Misgav Am, Kfar Giladi, and Metulla with artillery shells and rockets, further hindering any Israeli efforts to back up their forces.

As the situation deteriorated, the Israeli Air Force intervened, deploying helicopters to provide cover fire in the region and assist in the extraction of the casualties. In a desperate attempt to cover their retreat, the Israeli troops began using smoke grenades to obscure their movements and facilitate the recovery of their wounded soldiers, Al Mayadeen's sources said.

According to the field sources, the Resistance's fighters promise their greatest martyr, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and the people of Lebanon, that they would persevere in their mission. They reaffirmed their dedication to defending Lebanese territory in line with the plans laid out by their martyred leaders, including the leader of martyrs on the path to al-Quds, Sayyed Nasrallah.

Furthermore, the Resistance declared that the ambush on Wednesday was only a fraction of what awaited the Israeli occupation if it dared to advance into South Lebanon. They warned the Israeli military that more intense confrontations were inevitable and that every inch of South Lebanon would be fiercely defended.

"The days, nights, and battlefield will come to show this enemy who we are," the Resistance declared, vowing that they would continue to strike fear into the heart of the enemy as long as it threatens Lebanese sovereignty.

'Israel' admits to losses

Israeli occupation forces admitted on Wednesday the deaths of eight occupation soldiers during confrontations with the Islamic Resistance fighters on the southern Lebanese border, including two captains. 

According to Israeli Channel 12, the soldiers who were killed fell in two separate locations after being confronted by Resistance fighters from close proximity. 

Additionally, five other soldiers from the Egoz Commando Unit, including one officer, were wounded. 

As the Islamic Resistance continues intensifying its operations against invading occupation forces, Israeli Army Radio revealed that a unit of the Commandos force encountered fighters inside a building in a Southern Lebanese village. 

As an operation to evacuate the occupation soldiers was underway, Hezbollah fighters continued launching mortar shells. A medical evacuation unit was requested to treat wounded soldiers on the field. 

An Al Mayadeen correspondent in the South revealed that Israeli military reinforcements positioned in areas across Aita al-Shaab came under Hezbollah rocket fire. 

Moreover, according to a statement released by the Lebanese Resistance, Hezbollah fighters were able to destroy three Israeli Merkava tanks using guided missiles as they advanced on the southern Lebanese town of Maroun al-Ras.

Commenting on the results of the confrontations that had been ongoing since this morning, a field source from the Lebanese Resistance told Al Mayadeen, "The heroic epic which our fighters are conducting against Israeli elite forces at several axes in South Lebanon resulted in the killing and wounding of more than 80 soldiers and officers, with almost five tanks destroyed."