Israeli soldiers deployed in the mountains. (Credit: @avichayadraee on X)
BEIRUT — A new Israeli regional brigade, dubbed the "HaHarim" (Hebrew for mountains) brigade, has been established on the Lebanese-Syrian border, announced Arabic-speaking Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee on X.
"As part of the adaptation of the operational response and following an assessment of the situation on the northern border, a new regional brigade has been formed on the Lebanese-Syrian border to defend the area of Jabal al-Sheikh [Mount Hermon] and Jabal al-Rous [Har Dov]," Lieutenant-Colonel Adraee announced on Tuesday, noting that Colonel Liron Ableman has been appointed commander of the brigade.
Har Dov is the Hebrew name for the Shebaa Farms, a disputed territory located between Lebanon, Syria and Israel, which the international community considers Syrian, which Israel has been occupying since 1967, and which Lebanon has laid claim to since 2000. Shebaa Farms is a clear example of a muddy Lebanese-Syrian borderline drawn up among colonial powers some 100 years ago.
This 14 kilometers long and two kilometers wide segment, situated to the south of the Sunni-majority village of Shebaa, in Hasbaya district, has provided Hezbollah with a golden pretext to keep its arsenal to “liberate what remains [occupied] of the Lebanese territory.”
According to the Israeli army spokesperson, the new military brigade "will begin operations in the coming weeks and will specialize in fighting in complex terrain and mountains," particularly in these two areas.
This announcement comes at a time when the Israeli army and Hezbollah have been engaged in deadly cross-border fighting since the start of the war in Gaza last October. The last couple of weeks have seen regular reports in the Israeli media of preparations in northern Israel for a larger-scale offensive in Lebanon.