On September 23, the IDF launched Operation Northern Arrows to take on Hezbollah and enable Israelis to return to northern Israel. In general, the IDF had spent a year on the defensive against Hezbollah’s attacks. Hezbollah had begun attacking Israel on October 7, 2023, following the Hamas attack the previous day.
Hezbollah has long been viewed by Israel as the main threat against the Jewish state. Now, the IDF is engaged in a difficult war against the group. Despite initial gains and surprises in which Hezbollah suffered major setbacks in September, the war is now slowing down into a routine in which the IDF is pushing forward slowly in southern Lebanon.
How did Hezbollah become so strong, and did the IDF wait too long to confront it? The Iranian-backed terrorist group has always been a competent and deadly terrorist group since its founding and development in the 1980s. The group not only threatened Israel but also threatened other groups in Lebanon and has targeted Western countries. Hezbollah has also grown tentacles around the world, which link it to financial operations that span Africa, South America, and other countries.