Israeli Ground Troops Destroy Hezbollah Positions in Southern Lebanon

Latest Developments

Hezbollah Infrastructure Destroyed: Israeli ground troops conducted several nighttime raids in southern Lebanon, destroying Hezbollah weapons depots and infrastructure. According to the IDF, troops located and demolished a Hezbollah compound in the Jabal Blat area that included weapons and firing positions. In a separate raid, troops destroyed multiple rocket launchers, a machine gun, and dozens of explosive devices that had been hidden in a forest near Labbouneh. The raids came just days after Tom Barrack, who serves as U.S. envoy to Lebanon and ambassador to Turkey, declared himself “unbelievably satisfied” with the Lebanese government’s proposal to disarm the Iran-backed terrorist group.
Hamas and Hezbollah Leaders Killed: The IDF separately announced that it had eliminated Hamas commander Mehran Mustafa Ba’jur in an airstrike on his vehicle in the Lebanese city of Tripoli. Ba’jur was responsible for building Hamas’s military capabilities in Lebanon as well as directing rocket fire at Israel’s northern communities. In another strike, the IDF eliminated Hezbollah commander Hussein Ali Mazhar, who was responsible for the Iran-backed terrorist organization’s rocket fire toward Israel in the Zaharani sector.
Qassem Admits to Underestimating IDF: Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said on July 8 that the terrorist group had underestimated the IDF’s capabilities in the run-up to Israel’s remote detonation of thousands of pagers carried by Hezbollah terrorists in September 2024. “We didn’t know the supply chain had been exposed,” Qassem claimed. “There were efforts to examine the pager differently, including attempts to break it open, prompted by some anomalies that raised questions.” Despite leading an organization that has been severely degraded by the IDF, Qassem warned that Hezbollah “will not wait forever” to respond to continued Israeli airstrikes on its personnel and infrastructure.

FDD Expert Response

“Hezbollah repeatedly rejects all calls for its total disarmament and boasts of its efforts to reconstitute its strength. Israel’s constant strikes on the group’s personnel and assets confirm these ongoing efforts to regenerate both north and south of the Litani River. U.S. Envoy Barrack rightly placed the responsibility for defanging Hezbollah on the government in Beirut, but this does not mean other actors should sit by idly. Israel and the United States, in particular, must continue with their combined military and diplomatic pressure to keep Hezbollah at bay.” — David Daoud, Senior Fellow

“Israel’s war against Hamas is not limited to the geographical boundaries of the Gaza Strip or the West Bank. Its elimination of Mehran Ba’jur is notable given Hamas’s relatively limited footprint in Lebanon. Furthermore, it will be a difficult task for Hamas to replace a senior operative with combat experience against Israel and established ties to other terrorist organizations.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal