The Operations Room of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah announced Tuesday that fighters continue to counter Israeli aggression on Lebanon, inflicting significant losses on the Israeli occupation forces personnel and equipment, including officers and soldiers, along the confrontation fronts from the forward positions in southern Lebanon to Israeli positions deep within occupied Palestine.

Ground Engagements

Western sector

Due to the intense and concentrated strikes by the Resistance, Israeli forces withdrew from most of the southern Lebanese towns they had advanced into, retreating beyond the borders, the Operations Room confirmed, adding that the only remaining Israeli presence is the 146th Brigade's deployment in the Labouneh woods and east of Naqoura, which the brigade seeks to control by advancing toward Wadi Hamoul from the eastern side of Naqoura.

In the border towns of the western sector, no infiltration or advancement attempts have been reported since October 28, 2024, the statement highlighted.

It added that the Israeli occupation forces have limited themselves to repeated sweeps from border positions over the areas they withdrew from, accompanied by artillery fire and airstrikes targeting the second-line towns of Tayr Harfa, al-Btaichiye, al-Jubbain, Chihine, and Siddiqin, among others.

In the Maroun al-Ras axis, Hezbollah fighters carried out more than 24 operations using rockets and attack drones, targeting the Israeli occupation forces' positions and groupings as well as vehicles advancing inside Lebanese territory, the Operations Room indicated.

Hezbollah executed 26 rocket and artillery strikes on Israeli settlements, including Avivim, Dovev, Sa'sa', Bar'am, Yaron, Dishon, Malkiya, and Bar Yochai, which host air defense and missile bases, command centers for battalions involved in the offensive, weapon depots, and vehicle assembly points associated with the Israeli 36th Brigade, the statement mentioned.

It highlighted that during an Israeli attempt to infiltrate from Yaroun toward the western neighborhoods of Maroun al-Ras, Hezbollah fighters ambushed the infiltrating force, engaging its members with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades and inflicting casualties on them.

To the east of Maroun al-Ras, between the town and Aitaroun, Hezbollah fighters ambushed another Israeli force attempting to infiltrate Ainata. Point-blank confrontations ensued with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, leading to the killing and injury of all members of the Israeli force. Hezbollah fighters successfully withdrew from the ambush location under the cover of rocket and artillery fire from Islamic Resistance support units, the Operations Room detailed.

Eastern sector

The statement confirmed that Hezbollah's strikes forced Israeli forces to retreat from Mais al-Jabal, Markaba, Rub al-Thalathin, Odaisseh, and Khiam back across the border, adding that the Israeli military has since targeted second-line villages in this sector with artillery and airstrikes.

Following a similar operation in Khiam, Resistance fighters launched precision strikes on the Israeli 91st Brigade after monitoring its movements near Houla and the al-Abbad site. The strikes resulted in major explosions, killing and injuring several Israeli soldiers and causing significant damage to the site and vehicles, the Operations Room said.

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In Kfar Kila, Hezbollah targeted two bulldozers and a troop carrier from the Israeli 98th Brigade, which was demolishing homes and infrastructure, the statement said, adding that the Resistance's rocket strikes led to multiple casualties among the occupation forces, and attempts to evacuate the wounded were repelled with intense rocket fire.

Khaybar operations

In the same context, the statement said that since the launch of its Khaybar series of operations, Hezbollah has conducted 70 operations targeting 33 strategic Israeli sites as deep as 145 kilometers, south of Tel Aviv. Targets included military, logistical, air, and naval bases, as well as training camps.

Hezbollah's air force participated in 22 operations within the Khaybar operations, launching over 60 drones with operational depths reaching 145 kilometers into southern Tel Aviv.

Missile force

Moreover, the Operations Room affirmed that Hezbollah's missile forces continue to target Israeli troop concentrations at military sites and bases along the Lebanese-Palestinian border, extending to strategic and security facilities within occupied Palestine. The missile arsenal includes new precision missiles used for the first time.

The number of missile launch operations since Operation People of Might began on September 17, 2024, has exceeded 1,020, with 125 in the past week alone. On November 6, 2024, Hezbollah launched its first-ever Fateh-110 missile, striking the Tzrifin base 130 kilometers from the Lebanese-Palestinian border, according to the statement.

Air force

Additionally, the Operations Room said that Hezbollah's air force continues to target Israeli military sites and personnel concentration points, straining Israeli air defenses and resulting in a state of exhaustion within Israeli forces. Videos taken by panicked settlers frequently capture failed attempts by the Israeli occupation to intercept Hezbollah drones that reach their targets with precision.

Since the start of the operations on September 17, Hezbollah has launched over 1,000 drones in more than 315 operations, including 105 operations with over 300 drones since Operation People of Might kicked off, the statement confirmed.

Israeli casualties and losses

According to Hezbollah's field observations since October 1, 2024, Israeli losses include over 100 fatalities and 1,000 injuries among officers and soldiers.

Destroyed Israeli assets include 43 Merkava tanks, 8 bulldozers, 2 Hummers, 2 armored vehicles, and 2 armored troop carriers.

Four Hermes 450 and two Hermes 900 drones have been downed by the Islamic Resistance, the statement confirmed.

Resistance Operations Room confirms the following:

The Islamic Resistance's Operations Room vowed that the decision by the Israeli military to move to the second phase of the "ground maneuver" in southern Lebanon would only result in further losses for Israeli forces, underscoring Hezbollah's readiness to counter any offensive.

It pointed out that Hezbollah has taken all necessary defensive measures to sustain a prolonged battle, defending Lebanon's sovereignty and dignity with sufficient personnel and equipment across all sectors.

Despite Israeli claims of control over border villages, Hezbollah has launched numerous rocket attacks into occupied territory from the Lebanese-Palestinian border and engaged Israeli forces directly behind their lines, the statement affirmed.

Elsewhere, the Operations Room emphasized the continuation of the Khaybar series of operations with high intensity, reaching military targets and forcing hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers into shelters.

Prolonged war

The Operations Room's latest statement falls in line with Hezbollah's Media Relations Officer, Mohammad Afif underlining Monday that the group is "ready for a prolonged war with the occupation on all levels, whether on the [southern] frontlines or internal front."

Regarding the Israeli occupation forces' announcement of the expansion of the ground invasion of Lebanon, Afif said that the invasion has already expanded, pointing out that the occupation has not set any military objectives for its war to avoid the mistakes it made in 2006.

He further emphasized that "Israel" has not declared or set any final goals and thresholds for the war due to Hezbollah's strength and the challenges it would encounter in its fight against the Resistance.