Simulation of a ground offensive deep inside Lebanon in a possible Iran-backed Hezbollah war
Israel’s defense forces completed a major military exercise in Cyprus on Thursday, simulating a military ground offensive deep inside Lebanon in a possible war against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist group.
The Mediterranean island was chosen both for its Lebanese-like geographical terrain – mountainous along a coastal plain – and for its proximity to Israel. The exercise simulated various difficulties in a ground attack, such as food, water and ammunition, communication issues and general complications during operational operations in an unknown area.
“The first challenge we prepared for was to mobilize troops,” said Brigadier General Ofer Winter, commander of the 98th Parachute Division, which led the exercise.
Winter said thousands of soldiers had been brought in to play on the Lebanese side, using boats, planes and helicopters. “We arrived at the field with great intensity. “We deployed troops and began to operate against key areas and important targets that we identified as important to defeat,” he said, referring to hostile military locations and rocket launchers.
According to Winter, the troops carried out raids at a considerable distance from each other “challenging their ability to work while offline”. The troops operated on the assumption that they would have no contact with the headquarters, and would instead have to rely on communication with each other using satellite-based media.
The troops of the 98th Division were also trained to work alongside the special forces in unknown territory, as well as to respond to surprise events. However, the ultimate goal of the exercise was to simulate the cessation of Hezbollah’s missiles in Israel in the midst of a large-scale offensive through a ground offensive in Lebanon. According to military officials, the only way to achieve such a goal was to have a “significant presence” in the areas from which the attacks take place, keeping the enemy away from the border.
The Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist group has long been the IDF’s most significant military threat, with an estimated arsenal of nearly 150,000 rockets and missiles that can reach anywhere in Israel. According to a recent military estimate, Israeli cities could be bombed with 1,500 rockets a day, and the death toll could quickly rise to hundreds if the war with Hezbollah erupted.
The Israeli military says a military campaign is likely to result in the deaths of thousands of people in Lebanon, both Hezbollah fighters and civilians. Hezbollah fired more than 4,000 rockets at Israeli communities in Lebanon’s second war in 2006, while Israel bombed targets in southern Lebanon. The month of fighting killed about 1,200 Lebanese (Lebanon says most were civilians; the IDF said at least half were militants) as well as 44 Israeli civilians and 121 Israeli soldiers. Previous IDF estimates put the number of rockets that could target Israel on a daily basis in a future war at 1,000-3,000.
To minimize the firing of long-range missiles into Israel during the exercise, the troops were tasked with raiding enemy command centers and other strategic locations to ensure proper control of the areas used to launch attacks.
Unlike fighting in the Gaza Strip, which relies heavily on air campaigns, a war in Lebanon should probably include a ground operation, according to recent estimates.
At the same time, special forces – including the selected Yahalom engineering unit – were trained to demolish what the army called “critical enemy infrastructure”. The engineering unit also simulated the clearing of explosives and other obstacles, as well as the demolition of enemy tunnels. Hezbollah is believed to have a network of tunnels in some parts of Lebanon, some of which were destroyed by Israel in 2018 after being transferred to Israel.
Navy units simulated defensive and offensive maneuvers at sea, in addition to transporting and rescuing troops in the middle of the exercise.
Cyprus did not participate directly in the exercise. However, Defense Minister Benny Ganz and IDF chief Aviv Kohavi hailed the “strategic alliance” between the two countries during the exercise.
The IDF sees the Eastern Mediterranean region as an area of significant interest in maintaining security stability, where “strategic co-operation” with partners – such as Cyprus and Greece – is crucial, officials said.
Also during the last week of the major month-long exercise – called Chariots of Fire – the Air Force simulated air raids on Iran’s nuclear facilities over the Mediterranean Sea.
Chariots of Fire was the largest military exercise in decades. He faced the possibility of sudden events erupting in several theaters at the same time, while focusing on the fight against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Internal Affairs Command conducted a simulation last week in which 80 locations were severely damaged in rocket attacks with about 300 casualties, during a multi-day outburst with Hezbollah.
The exercises have also raised “several” issues with the way the military handles logistics, according to IDF Chief of Technology and Logistics Brigadier General Pini Ben Moyal. He said the military would look into these issues and find ways to address them without giving further details.
Military officials said the exercises were aimed at increasing the capacity and readiness of troops and top officers for multi-front warfare, as well as coordinating with other emergency agencies, local authorities and government ministries.
