Major Yedaya, a company commander who has led his soldiers in battles in southern Lebanon in recent days, said in a recent interview with Maariv that they have been studying Hezbollah and that the terror group’s tactics were nothing unexpected.
Yedaya serves in the 71st Battalion of the 188th Armored Brigade, which has been continuing its focused ground activities in southern Lebanon under the command of Division 36 in recent days.
Operational achievments
During operational activities, the forces destroyed dozens of weapons depots, several tunnel shafts, and numerous enemy infrastructures and weapons.
In recent days, the brigade’s engineering forces discovered a subterranean route connecting two underground shafts in the combat zone.
The shafts contained long-term accommodation equipment, weapons, and documents used by the organization’s militants. The fighters sealed the shafts and rendered them unusable in collaboration with the Northern Command engineering unit.
“The company waited a long time for the attack. You see the settlements abandoned, see how the grass grows along the edges of the paths and streets. For a year, we studied Hezbollah, saw how they operate and how they work. When we launched the attack, we were not surprised by Hezbollah’s resistance,” Major Yedaya said.
Before entering, he described, “I told the soldiers before going in that everyone would ask, ‘Why haven’t we done this until now?’ We had been here for about a year, dealing with anti-tank fire, rockets, and mortars. The soldiers had already formed friendships with the residents who stayed in the settlements, with members of the emergency squads. It was important for them to enter and fight.”
“The operation was focused. We went house-to-house based on precise intelligence and found the munitions and launchers aimed at the northern settlements. After three days of fighting, we were in control of the village. On Saturday, just before sunset, with a cup of coffee for the first time, I had a moment to sit. You see the Israeli settlements behind you, and you understand the significance of the operation,” Major Yedaya reflected.
The company’s leadership also participated in the fighting in Gaza.
“The operation in Gaza was simpler in terms of our command,” he explained. “In Lebanon, the terrain plays a more complex role, making the operation there more challenging. We always viewed Lebanon as a more complicated challenge. We prepared and trained for this for a long time, and now it has finally reached an offensive.”
