The IDF is reportedly close to concluding a successful ground operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, achieving major strategic gains with limited international media coverage. Conducted over the past six weeks, the IDF’s campaign has involved thousands of troops from four divisions, marking a substantial military effort without reaching the scale of a full invasion. The operation has led to the destruction of approximately 30 Hezbollah-controlled villages along the Israel-Lebanon border. These locations had been transformed into heavily fortified terror bases, designed as launching points for a potential Hezbollah invasion into Israel. In each village, IDF troops uncovered and dismantled hidden terror positions, extensive underground facilities, and large stockpiles of weaponry that Hezbollah had amassed with billions of dollars in investments over recent years. According to sources cited by the Wall Street Journal, Israeli forces seized more than 66,000 Hezbollah weapons, including around 6,000 explosive devices and thousands of anti-tank missiles. The large volume of captured weaponry has led the IDF to consider equipping new units with Hezbollah arms to enhance their operational capabilities. Estimated casualties range from 1,000 to 2,000 Hezbollah fighters killed since the start of the ground campaign, in addition to hundreds of casualties from prior airstrikes. Hezbollah’s mounting losses have led to reports of abandoned positions along the border. As IDF forces advanced, at least 14 Hezbollah-held villages were reportedly deserted by the group’s fighters, signaling the psychological toll of Israel’s offensive and the declining morale among Hezbollah ranks. Rather than resisting Israeli advances, many Hezbollah operatives have reportedly retreated deeper into Lebanon, opting for concealment over confrontation. While Hezbollah has inflicted some casualties on IDF forces through ambushes and other attacks, the group has struggled to slow Israel’s progress. IDF sources report fewer than 50 Israeli soldiers killed in this campaign—considerably lower than the 120 Israeli fatalities in the 2006 Lebanon War, which yielded less decisive outcomes. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)