Hezbollah's Operations Room Announces Withdrawal of IOF Beyond Border

By Al Mayadeen English

The Islamic Resistance Operations Room in Lebanon presented, in a statement, the developments of Operation People of Might, focusing on the ground confrontations along the frontlines and the series of Khaybar operations.

On Wednesday evening, commemorating the 40th day since Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's martyrdom, the Islamic Resistance Operations Room in Lebanon issued a comprehensive statement outlining the latest developments in Operation People of Might. The statement provided detailed insights into the ongoing ground confrontations and offered an update on advancing the Khaybar series of operations.

In its statement, the Resistance Operations Room reaffirmed its commitment to relentlessly confronting the Israeli aggression on Lebanon. It emphasized that the resistance fighters would continue to inflict significant losses on the occupation forces, both in terms of military equipment and personnel, including officers and soldiers. This resolve extends across the various confrontation fronts, from the frontlines to deep within the occupied territories of Palestine.

Ground confrontations

On October 8, Israeli forces initiated an advance towards al-Khiam, mobilizing large numbers of personnel and vehicles while maintaining heavy aerial surveillance and air cover across the surrounding area. Their forces were strategically positioned along the frontlines, particularly in the key locations of Tal Nahas, al-Hamames, and the al-Majidiyah Plain.

In line with pre-established defensive strategies and after monitoring potential enemy routes, the resistance fighters devised a fire defense plan centered on missile and artillery strikes. The plan involved a high volume of simultaneous, precise attacks targeting the enemy’s movements, positions, and advance routes, both within Lebanese territory and across the occupied territories.

Over three consecutive days, more than 70 targeted operations were executed, with 50 concentrated on the southern and eastern outskirts of the town. During these operations, four enemy tanks were destroyed by guided missiles, resulting in significant casualties among their crews, including both fatalities and injuries.

A guided missile struck an Israeli military position in the settlement of Metula, killing and injuring soldiers. In addition, a security unit in the Tel al-Nahas area was targeted with another missile strike. Resistance media subsequently released footage documenting the aftermath, capturing the wounded and the extensive damage caused by the attacks.

The most significant of these operations was the precision missile strikes on large gatherings of enemy soldiers and vehicles in the Wadi al-Asafir area, located on the southeastern side of al-Khiam. These strikes utilized advanced, high-accuracy missiles, each equipped with a 250 kg warhead filled with highly explosive material. The massive explosions and heavy casualties sparked widespread panic and chaos within the enemy ranks.

In addition to the rocket salvos and strikes targeting enemy movements within Lebanese territory, this operation also included a series of precise and deliberate attacks on the rear areas of the forces involved in the aggression on Lebanon. These targets were identified and struck in a coordinated and specific manner through:

- Targeting Israeli assembly points that were carrying out attacks on al-Khiam, including positions at the Metula site and surrounding settlements, with 11 concentrated rocket salvos and artillery shells, resulting in confirmed direct hits.

- A total of 23 missile salvos were launched, targeting key enemy positions, including a training camp, firebases, and command centers in the "Ayelet Hashahar" settlement; missile launch sites in "Yesud Hama'ala"; an armored assembly area in "Sha’al"; and command headquarters in "Shamir." All strikes were accurate, successfully neutralizing their intended targets.

On Thursday night, on October 31—three days after the occupation forces advanced towards al-Khiam—Israeli forces were forced to retreat behind the border. Military helicopters were deployed to evacuate the dead and wounded while special vehicles towed away the destroyed tanks.

During an attempted advance by enemy forces across the border towards the village of Houla on Saturday, November 2, the resistance fighters detected a large convoy consisting of 40 military vehicles, including tanks, armored vehicles, and personnel carriers. The convoy, escorted by two military bulldozers, was tasked with clearing paths to allow the vehicles to advance into the town’s center. The force was roughly the size of a full battalion.

When the force entered the resistance fighter's range, the two bulldozers were targeted by two Kornet anti-tank missiles. The strikes destroyed the bulldozers and caused significant casualties among those inside, including both fatalities and injuries.

Under heavy Israeli artillery cover, the force withdrew with all its vehicles to the eastern border of the town. Once the force had regrouped in the assembly area, and to maximize casualties, the area was struck with three rocket salvos, spaced five minutes apart, totaling more than 60 rockets. The operation successfully achieved its objectives, inflicting significant damage and casualties.

IOF withdraws from towns after advancing toward them beyond borders

Due to the relentless and sustained resistance strikes, coupled with the failure of the occupation forces to establish a foothold within the border villages, the Israeli army was compelled to withdraw from several towns it had advanced into, withdrawing beyond the border. This retreat was accompanied by extensive military operations, including the systematic clearing of border sites, artillery positions, and air raids by warplanes targeting towns like Aita al-Shaab, Ramya, Mays al-Jabal, Blida, al-Khiam, and others.

Repeated attempts by Israeli army forces to impose a siege on the town of Naqoura in the western sector are being repelled, alongside an infiltration attempt in the Wazzani area in the eastern sector. The latter was met with a missile barrage, forcing the enemy to withdraw.

Series of qualitative Khaybar operations reach a depth of 145 km in Palestine

Despite the Israeli Air Force's continuous surveillance and activity, the resistance has intensified the pace of its high-impact operations within the Khaybar series. These operations involve precise, targeted strikes on Israeli strategic and security centers, facilities, and military bases, reaching up to 145 km deep inside occupied Palestine. The resistance employs advanced missiles and drones to carry out these highly coordinated attacks.

These targeted, precise, and carefully planned operations are executed according to a well-defined strategy, with secure management and control over the unfolding events on the battleground. Each strike is the result of a thorough assessment of the situation, including the progression of the frontlines and the shifting dynamics of the war.

Since its launch on October 1, 2024, the Khaybar operations series has had 56 targets, 18 of which were carried out during the past week.

In addition to fulfilling their military objectives, these operations have caused significant psychological and logistical disruptions. Over two million settlers spread across more than 5,000 km² of territory and, at a depth of 145 km inside occupied Palestine, were forced into shelters with each strike. Daily life was repeatedly disrupted, with schools, workplaces, and air traffic suspended, intensifying the chaos in the occupied areas.

The resistance successfully organized its structures at multiple levels, ensuring coordination and effectiveness across all fronts.

Islamic Resistance Operations Room confirmed in its statement the following:

The Khaybar series of operations are intensifying according to a clear strategy and well-defined program, with precise management and control, ensuring the effective achievement of all objectives set by the resistance leadership.

- Settlers who have been warned to evacuate their settlements must not return, as these areas have now been designated military targets. The settlements contain key military infrastructure, including command headquarters, barracks, military factories, artillery positions, missile bases, and logistical and staff service stations supporting the forces attacking Lebanese territory.

The only achievement claimed by the Israeli forces during what it referred to as a "ground maneuver" has been the destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure and the bulldozing of agricultural lands in the border towns.

- Recent weeks have shown that the resistance formations have effectively organized their structures across multiple levels, as reflected in the increasing frequency of rocket and drone strikes on various targets within the "temporary entity"—a term coined by the martyr Sayyed Nasrallah to describe the occupation force—reaching as far as Tel Aviv.

- Our resistance fighters on the front lines at the southern border, through their precise and sustained strikes, as well as their remarkable ability to repel enemy incursions, have effectively compelled Israeli forces to stop at the borders of the villages along the front edge. They have successfully blocked any attempt to advance toward the second-line villages or to approach the course of the Litani River.