The Israeli forces have intensified strikes in southern Lebanon, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the military to escalate its offensive in an effort to "crush" Iran's proxy Hezbollah, further threatening the already fragmented ceasefire. On Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike on Mashghara village in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley killed 12 people as more troops were called on the ground.
Amid an intensifying offensive, an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) commander, who has nearly 600 soldiers under his command, told NDTV that his troops believe they are fighting what they believe is an "existential threat" across multiple fronts, including Gaza and Lebanon.
The official, identified as Mr E, spoke on the condition of anonymity. He claimed Hezbollah has built what he described as a "militant infrastructure" to target Israeli forces.
Mr E, 31, serves in the reserves of the Israel Defence Forces after previously spending seven years in active military service. In civilian life, he works in the real estate sector. Since the war began more than two years ago, he said he has repeatedly returned to combat duty while balancing family and professional responsibilities.
"At the beginning of the war, I was commanding around 100 soldiers. Today, I am a deputy battalion commander in the Alexander Brigade with nearly 600 soldiers under my command," he told NDTV.
According to him, his unit has operated in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria during the course of the conflict.
"We did not leave our families, our jobs and our children to play around in Gaza or Lebanon. We feel we are fighting evil," he said.
Referring to Israeli operations in southern Lebanon, Mr E said his brigade first entered the area in October 2024 and claimed troops found weapons, underground tunnels and fortified positions close to the Israeli border.
"What we saw was preparation for attacks against Israeli civilians living near the northern border," he alleged.
The officer claimed that weapons stockpiles and tunnel networks were found within hundreds of metres of Israeli territory. He further alleged that militant infrastructure had been developed steadily since the end of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.
"You could see they were preparing for another war for years," he said.
The remarks come amid continuing tensions across the region as Israel remains engaged on multiple fronts following the October 7 attacks and the wider conflict that followed in Gaza and along the Lebanon border.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hezbollah of embedding military infrastructure inside civilian areas in southern Lebanon, allegations denied by the group. Hezbollah and Hamas have both accused Israel of carrying out extensive military strikes, causing civilian casualties during the war.
The conflict has triggered growing international concern over the possibility of a wider regional escalation in the Middle East.
