By Ehud Amiton • April 13, 2026
Jerusalem, 13 April, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israeli soldiers have encircled and begun a concentrated assault on the Hezbollah stronghold town of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces said on Monday. Meanwhile, the military also said that over 250 Hezbollah operatives had been killed in a recent wave of airstrikes across Lebanon.
Ground operations have been underway for about a week in the Bint Jbeil area, where the IDF has not operated for many years. According to the IDF, troops have killed more than 100 Hezbollah operatives in close combat and airstrikes in the area, destroyed dozens of infrastructure sites and located large quantities of weapons, including launchers hidden near and inside civilian homes.
The town of Bint Jbeil is considered a key Hezbollah stronghold, overlooking several northern Israeli communities, including Avivim and Yarun.
The IDF Says Hezbollah had been preparing the area for potential Radwan Force incursions into Israeli territory, and that units have now completed an encirclement, cutting off access routes and preventing reinforcements from entering or terrorists from escaping.
Military officials estimate that between 100 and 200 operatives were initially present in Bint Jbeil, but say only a few dozen remain as troops continue systematic searches and plan to demolish buildings used by Hezbollah.
On Sunday, Israeli forces raided a hospital in Bint Jbeil used by Hezbollah to store and transfer weapons, conduct surveillance, and even fire on soldiers. The IDF also released photos of a weapons cache found in the hospital compound.
Meanwhile, the IDF said that at least 250 Hezbollah figures were killed in a wave of nationwide strikes last week. Among those killed, according to the IDF, were several senior Hezbollah commanders, including Hassan Mustafa Nasser, head of the group’s logistics headquarters; Ali Qassem, Abu Ali Abbas, and Ali Hijazi, senior figures in its intelligence unit; and Abu Muhammad Habib, deputy head of the missile unit.
A senior Israeli intelligence officer said the commanders had extensive experience and knowledge that has now been cut short, adding that dozens of command centers were struck within minutes.
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