What was Operation Northern Arrows in Lebanon?
Operation Northern Arrows was a large-scale IDF military campaign conducted on Israel’s northern front against Hezbollah’s military infrastructure in Lebanon, launched in response to sustained attacks on Israeli territory.
The operation relied on intelligence-based strikes and joint activity by air, ground, and naval forces, targeting Hezbollah’s operational capabilities across multiple regions in Lebanon.
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Scope of the Operation:
During Operation Northern Arrows, more than 12,500 Hezbollah targets were struck across Lebanon.
These targets included command and control centers, weapons storage sites, rocket and missile launchers, and military infrastructure embedded in civilian areas.
Air, Sea, and Ground Activity:
The IAF carried out over 11,000 operational sorties during the operation, while the Israeli Navy conducted tens of thousands of operational hours aimed at disrupting Hezbollah activity and weapons transfers. At the same time, ground forces operated in targeted areas to expose and destroy Hezbollah infrastructure, including underground and fortified assets.
Damage to Hezbollah’s Capabilities:
Operation Northern Arrows caused severe damage to Hezbollah’s military capabilities. Thousands of Hezbollah operatives were eliminated during the fighting, including senior commanders and key figures within the organization’s military hierarchy, such as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Hezbollah also lost a significant portion of its rocket, missile, and UAV capabilities, including a reduction to less than one-third of its pre-war UAV capacity. Over 155,000 weapons and military items were confiscated or destroyed during the operation. These included rockets, anti-tank weapons, explosive devices, UAVs, and communications equipment used by Hezbollah forces.
The Outcome:
Hezbollah’s operational infrastructure near the Israeli border was largely dismantled, significantly degrading its ability to carry out coordinated attacks in the area. The Radwan Force, Hezbollah’s elite unit designated for cross-border operations, suffered major operational and command losses, further weakening the organization’s frontline capabilities. Overall, the operation substantially reduced the immediate threats facing Israeli civilians in the north and reinforced Israel’s deterrence posture along the Lebanese border.
