IDF gains control of Lebanese village used by Hezbollah in planned invasion of Israel

The southern Lebanese village of Kila, close to the northern Israeli border town of Metula, until recently was used as a strategic hub by the Hezbollah terrorist forces. Kila reportedly played a central role in Hezbollah’s plan to invade northern Israel and carry out a large-scale Oct. 7-style massacre in northern Israeli communities.

Since Israel launched its military ground operations on Oct. 1, Israeli soldiers from the 769th Brigade of the 91st Division have taken control of Kila and dismantled Hezbollah's infrastructure. In one of the most important counter-terrorism operations in the area, the IDF destroyed a tunnel designed to transport some 1,000 Hezbollah terrorists across the border into Israel. 

IDF Colonel Avraham Marciano, who commands the 769th Brigade, stressed the significance of Kila playing a role in Hezbollah’s attack plan. 

“Kila represents everything Hezbollah had planned,” Marciano assessed. "Fifty meters from here, inside those ruins, we discovered a tunnel entrance where they planned their invasion route. It’s a complex hundreds of meters long. They intended to move beneath the main street of Kila, regroup, and launch an assault from there," he said. "Today, we're settling the score and dismantling Hezbollah’s infrastructure."

Prior to the Israeli ground operation in Kila and other southern Lebanese villages, local Hezbollah terrorists fired rockets and missiles at Metula and other northern Israeli towns. Approximately 60,000 Israeli civilians were consequently evacuated from their homes to other communities.

Israeli forces have uncovered large quantities of Hezbollah weapons in southern Lebanese villages. Earlier in October, the Israeli military displayed some of the weapons that Hezbollah intended to use in the planned attacks.

An IDF soldier, David, recalled the sophistication of the Hezbollah tunnels and the terror group’s propensity to embed itself in civilian structures, a strategy shared by Iran’s other terror proxy Hamas in Gaza. 

"We found it still equipped with digging tools. Nearly every building we entered contained terror infrastructure: shafts, tunnels, weapons, ammunition, combat vests, and medical supplies," David said. 

Israel has delivered severe blows to Hezbollah and its military capabilities since September.

Earlier this month, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi estimated that the Israeli military had eliminated at least 1,500 Hezbollah terrorists, including senior commanders, since the beginning of the IDF ground operations.

"Their entire chain of command is collapsing. Hezbollah is hiding casualties, including dead commanders. Our conservative estimate is that 1,500 operatives have been killed, likely more, given the scale of the strikes," Halevi stated.

Despite Israel’s recent military successes against Hezbollah forces, IDF officials believe Hezbollah continues to pose a serious threat to the Jewish state’s security. 

"I believe it will take just a few more weeks to completely eliminate Hezbollah’s invasion capabilities," Marciano assessed. However, Hezbollah still has thousands of rockets and missiles in its large but diminishing arsenal." 

The head of the Metula Local Council, David Azulai, estimates that more than 60% of Israeli homes have been damaged by Hezbollah rockets since the Iranian-backed proxy group launched its attack on Israel on Oct. 8, 2023. While Azulai welcomes the IDF operations in the north, he is concerned about the future. 

"It’s impressive, yes, but I have to think ahead," Azulai said. "What will happen a month from now when the army isn’t here? We’ve heard promises like this too many times.”

“We need to set the conditions and make it clear that any future violation will lead to an even more decisive response,” he added.