A report broadcast by Channel 12, the Hebrew channel, today, Sunday, revealed that the Israeli army's control of the Shaqif Fortress in southern Lebanon is not limited to immediate military objectives, but rather falls within strategic efforts to strengthen Israeli pressure cards in the ongoing negotiations with the Lebanese side.
According to the report, Israel believes that tightening control over this strategic location gives it additional influence in any potential future understandings, in addition to its role in reducing the threats posed by Hezbollah on the northern border. The channel confirmed that the military operation was not a "random step", noting that the control of the fortress took place without significant resistance, despite the death of an Israeli soldier during the operation, which reflects – according to the report – prior planning and goals that go beyond direct field deterrence. The same source pointed out that the timing of the control of the Shaqif heights coincided with the anniversary of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, when the fortress fell for the first time at the hands of a force from the Golani Brigade, an operation that resulted in the killing of six Israeli soldiers at the time, which adds an additional symbolic dimension to the current military movement. The report explained that the seizure of the Shaqif heights is based on dual tactical considerations, as the fortress overlooks elevated areas that Hezbollah used to fire towards the Galilee region inside Israel, which made controlling it a security necessity to reduce these threats. He added that the heights represent the "heart of the Badr Brigade" of Hezbollah, which is stationed north of the Litani River, where the area has witnessed clashes and mutual shelling in recent days, both above ground and through facilities under it. The report indicated that neutralizing this military structure cannot be achieved by air raids alone, given the presence of vast underground complexes, which – according to the channel – requires direct field intervention. The report showed that controlling Shaqif may provide the Israeli government with an additional pressure card in the face of Lebanese negotiators, which strengthens its position in the context of an agreement that is taking shape, considering that Hezbollah has not been weakened to the extent that allows its dismantling through the diplomatic path only. It also revealed that the Israeli army has prepared additional operational plans to increase pressure on Hezbollah and the Lebanese government, but their implementation remains subject to restrictions imposed by the US administration on the decisions of the political leadership in Israel. The channel concluded that controlling the Shaqif Fortress, despite its tactical importance, will not solve all of Israel's problems in southern Lebanon, considering it a temporary military step, as the presence of Israeli forces in the region after the operational need disappears may turn soldiers into easy targets for Hezbollah attacks.
