rich9 What We Know About the Israeli Forces Fighting in Lebanon
The Israeli military announced on Tuesday that a new division of soldiers, the 146th, was operating in southern Lebanon, signaling that it could be ramping up the ground invasion of its neighbor.
Since beginning the invasion on Sept. 30 to target the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, the military has announced the involvement of three other divisions, but released few details about the number of troops deployed in Lebanon and their activities there.
Here’s what we know about the Israeli forces engaged in the ground operation.
How many Israeli troops are in Lebanon?The Israeli military has said that its 36th, 98th, 91st, and 146th divisions have sent troops across the border into Lebanon, though it has not publicly disclosed how many soldiers are involved in the invasion or how many each division has contributed.
A complete division in Israel, as in the United States, usually comprises 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers, with roughly a third being combat troops and the remainder playing supporting roles, including in logistics and intelligence.
The Israeli military has declined to specify how many soldiers from the Israeli divisions have entered Lebanon since the invasion began, arguing that they do not want to publicize information that could benefit Hezbollah. Analysts estimate that they number in the thousands.
Gershon HaCohen, a retired Israeli major general who served as a reservist in Israel’s northern command in the last year, said that the number of Israeli troops fighting in Lebanon was in the lower range of that in 2006, during the last full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah. Prior reports in The Times put that figure at an estimated 10,000 to 30,000, depending on the phase of the 34-day war.
Where Israel is fighting in Lebanon
Lebanon
Awali River
Map
Area
Med.
Sea
Israel
Towns Israel has
told residents
to leave
Nabatieh
Where evidence of
Israeli forces is visible
in satellite imagery
Lebanon
Litani River
Abbasiyeh
Odaisseh
Locations visible
in videos posted by
the Israeli military
Deir Aames
Military zones
closed by
Israel
Maroun
al-Ras
Golan
Heights
Naqoura
Yaroun
Israel
U.N. buffer zone set in 2006
5 miles
Awali River
Lebanon
Map
Area
Israel
Towns Israel has told
residents to leave
Where evidence of
Israeli forces is visible
in satellite imagery
Med.
Sea
Litani River
Odaisseh
Locations visible
in videos posted by
the Israeli military
Lebanon
Military
zones
closed by
Israel
Maroun
al-Ras
Naqoura
Yaroun
Israel
5 miles
U.N. buffer zone set in 2006
Note: Crossing locations are based on New York Times analysis of satellite imagery from Planet Labs.
Sources: Israeli military, United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon, OpenStreetMap
By The New York Times
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