Israeli army radio announced on 18 September that its elite 98th Division will be redeployed from Gaza to the northern front, just one day after Tel Aviv’s deadly terror attack involving the detonation of pager devices across Lebanon,
The Cradle reports.
The announcement also coincides with fresh Israeli army threats of an imminent operation in Lebanon.
“Peak alertness in the north – in the [army] it has been decided: the elite 98th Division will move to the northern arena. The division was planned to continue fighting in the Gaza Strip, but in the last day it was decided to divert it to the north,” army radio correspondent Doron Kadosh said via X on Wednesday.
The chief of the Israeli army’s Northern Command, Major General Ori Gordin, said on 18 September that Israel is “determined” to escalate against Lebanon.
“The mission is clear: We are determined to change the security reality as soon as possible. The commitment of the commanders and the troops here is complete, with peak readiness for any task that will be required,” Gordin said.
Reservists of the Israeli army’s 179th Brigade carried out a drill on Wednesday, coming after another drill earlier this week aimed at simulating fighting inside Lebanon.
Thousands of pager devices held by Hezbollah members and other Lebanese citizens exploded simultaneously on Tuesday afternoon, killing at least 12 people, including two children, and injuring up to 2,800 across Lebanon.
