IDF Commando Brigade Prepares to Fight Hezbollah

IDF commando force (Archive: IDF/CC BY-NC 2.0)

The IDF Commando Brigade is on elevated readiness on the Lebanon border for rapid deployment against Hezbollah. If large-scale combat erupts on the northern front, Israel’s prime elite force will be mobilized for significant military operations.

Israeli aircraft and artillery forces are also on alert for an immediate response to any Hezbollah attack, the Air Force said. Earlier, IDF Chief Herzi Halevi warned that less than 50% of Israel’s air power is deployed in Gaza and can be quickly diverted to other war zones. However, sending Israeli commandos into Lebanon would transform the dynamics of the current conflict.

The Commando Brigade is armed with tremendous fire power and can hit Hezbollah fighters and targets deep in Lebanon. Colonel Kobi Heller, the Brigade’s past commander, said previously that the elite force can deliver a massive response to enemy raids into Israel.

IDF commandos built exceptional cooperation with the Air Force to enable action in enemy territory, Heller said. The army can now reach Hezbollah’s key assets and disrupt its operations, forcing the Lebanese group to invest significantly in defense, he added.

Notably, the Commando Brigade trained intensively overseas to boost its ability to operate in unfamiliar locations. The forces also practiced a raid on Hezbollah’s heartland with over 1,000 troops.

In parallel, the Brigade built a capacity for rapid intervention in case of infiltration from Lebanon. Commando forces, who have been on the highest alert for weeks, will be mobilized quickly to counter raids targeting civilians and military bases.

New combat doctrine

Hezbollah is not fully aware of the vast capabilities developed by the IDF’s rapid response units, Colonel Heller said. The army will deploy a massive contingent of highly skilled fighters to block attackers at the border and then strike in enemy territory, he warned.

The Commando Brigade is capable of severely harming Hezbollah forces and destroying the group’s weapons and infrastructure, the senior commander said. Previously, another high-ranking officer warned that the IDF is preparing “surprises” for Hezbollah squads planning to attack Israel.

If a large war erupts, the Commando Brigade will be working alongside the IDF’s secretive Ghost Unit to neutralize Hezbollah threats. While Special Forces focus on paralyzing the terror group’s best forces and key facilities, Ghost will be mobilized to detect and eliminate rocket cells in Lebanon.

Notably, the IDF’s new combat doctrine stresses the use of elite units and massive firepower to quickly destroy numerous enemy targets. During an earlier war drill, the Air Force simulated attacks on 3,000 Hezbollah targets in one day.

A full-scale war in Lebanon at this time could threaten Hezbollah’s existence. Yaakov Amidror, Israel’s ex-national security adviser, previously called for a long operation to demolish Hezbollah in the next conflict in Lebanon.