Two Israeli soldiers in South Lebanon on Jan. 26, 2025. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — This week, the Israeli army inaugurated a vast live-fire training site in the north of the country, designed as "a replica of a South Lebanon village," according to a military statement and reporting from the Israeli media outlet Ynet.
Nicknamed "Little Lebanon," the complex was built on the ruins of Zaarour, a village located on the Golan Heights, annexed by Israel, where the army had previously conducted exercises, Ynet reports. The new site is described as the northern equivalent of "Little Gaza," the fake Palestinian village at the Tze'elim base in the Negev.
"The facility replicates the features of a south Lebanese village, with multi-story buildings, fortified bunkers, narrow alleys, rubble, and underground tunnels," the statement posted on the army's website said. Unlike Tze'elim, soldiers at this site can train with live ammunition and carry out real explosions under realistic conditions.
Rubble zones
"This is as close to reality as it gets," said Lieutenant Colonel Zohar — whose full name was not disclosed — training supervisor within the ground forces command and officer overseeing the project. "We learned lessons from last year's maneuver against Hezbollah — from our failures as well as our successes — and designed this site accordingly.
Even the small details, like shrubs, rocks, or the terrain, reflect what soldiers actually encounter in the field," he continued, as the Israeli army noted the presence of "rubble zones" at the site. The border strip in south Lebanon was heavily destroyed by Israeli airstrikes and its military's demolition of buildings and even entire neighborhoods in Lebanese territory.
The site also features an advanced digital after-action review system. Dozens of cameras and recording devices were installed in streets, alleys and buildings, enabling commanders and soldiers to review their communications, maneuvers, and mistakes, the same source adds.
"Last week, the first military exercise was held at the site, with participation from the 7th Brigade, the 401st Brigade, and the Commando School," the Israeli army specified on its website. The simulated exercise involved a combat operation to capture the complex using infantry and armored vehicles.
Training 'before any deployment'
Before taking up positions in the northern sector of the country, meaning along the border with Lebanon, "the forces will train in this complex, whether advancing on foot, in armored personnel carriers, or piloting drones." The site's "unique size" allows for "large-scale" training.
The Israeli army added that the use of different types of munitions during training requires constant monitoring to ensure the facility functions correctly. "Before each training session, we place disposable targets near the structures, which absorb the majority of the bullets, shells, and ammunition," a lieutenant colonel explained.
Despite the cease-fire agreement signed on Nov. 27, 2024, the Israeli army continues to occupy at least six positions on Lebanese territory along the border, and carries out near-daily attacks on south Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.
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