From the Liveblog of
Thursday, March 19, 2026
Over 20 Hezbollah operatives killed in south Lebanon ground operations yesterday, IDF says
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
More than 20 Hezbollah operatives were killed amid ground operations in southern Lebanon yesterday, the military says.
According to the IDF, the operatives were killed by troops of the 36th Division and in strikes carried out by the Israeli Air Force.
In one incident, soldiers of the Golani Brigade identified a cell of Hezbollah operatives attempting to fire anti-tank missiles on the forces. The IDF says the troops killed five operatives in that incident.
The military says the ground troops also located numerous weapons, including RPGs and anti-tank missiles.
The 36th Division is one of four IDF divisions carrying out ground operations in southern Lebanon since Hezbollah began attacking Israel amid the war in Iran.
The IDF has been preparing to deploy even more forces in southern Lebanon and further expand its buffer zone to push away the threat of Hezbollah from the border.
חיסולים מהאוויר והתקלויות פנים מול פנים: כוחות אוגדה 36 וחיל האוויר חיסלו יותר מ-20 מחבלים ביממה האחרונה בדרום לבנון
כוחות אוגדה 36 ממשיכים בפעילות הקרקעית הממוקדת בדרום לבנון.
אתמול, כוחות צוות הקרב של חטיבת גולני, זיהו בשני אירועים שונים חוליות מחבלים חמושים מארגון הטרור… pic.twitter.com/U8d1eEnRhU
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) March 19, 2026
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