Soldiers from the 36th Division blew a shofar and prayed with their rabbi, Rabbi Yair Abu, before beginning a ground operation in southern Lebanon. The moment was documented shortly before troops moved into the area for combat.

Forces from brigade combat teams under the division launched a targeted overnight raid against infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah terror organization. Tanks from the 7th Brigade were among the units involved, as troops worked to locate and destroy militant sites and eliminate fighters.

The military said the operation included extensive air and ground strikes against targets in the region prior to the ground entry. Officials described the mission as part of a broader effort to establish a forward defensive line to provide an additional layer of security for residents of northern Israel, adding that attacks on Israeli civilians will not be tolerated.