Invasion soon? IDF moves thousands of troops to northern border

Israeli soldiers from the Maglan Unit operate on the Israeli border with Lebanon, northern Israel, January 4, 2021. (Flash90/Oren Cohen)

Elite IDF division transferred to Lebanon border, amidst threat of all-out war between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group.

By World Israel News Staff

Amid sky-high tensions between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group, the Israeli army announced on Wednesday that it is deploying tens of thousands of troops to the northern border.

The move comes one day after an alleged Mossad and IDF intelligence operation saw the simultaneous detonation of thousands of beepers belonging to Hezbollah members in Lebanon and Syria, killing at least nine and wounding some 3,000.

The IDF said that it was transferring the elite 98th Division, numbering some 10,000 to 20,000 troops, to the border with Lebanon.

The units within the 98th Division include paratroopers, artillery units, and commandos.

Previously, the 98th Division was stationed in Khan Younes in central Gaza, but withdrew from the area in August.

The 98th Division will join the 36th Division and numerous reserve units, which have been stationed along the northern border for months.

In recent days, Israeli officials have signaled that the IDF is gearing up for an intensive military offensive against Hezbollah.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant both hinted to the Biden administration’s envoy to the Middle East, Amos Hochstein, that time had run out for a diplomatic solution to end the fighting with Hezbollah.

For more than 11 months, Hezbollah has bombarded communities and military assets in northern Israel with near-daily barrages of missiles, rockets, and explosive drones.

At least 60,000 Israelis were displaced from their homes due to the ongoing aerial assaults. Tens of thousands more, who were not evacuated from their homes, live under constant threat of Hezbollah aggression.

On Monday, the security cabinet officially declared the return of displaced northern to their home as a goal for the ongoing war.

Former IAF commander Ori Gordin said that Israel will need to create a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, in order to protect residents of northern Israel and to prevent the Hezbollah terror group from operating in the region.

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