IDF Releases Original Lebanon War Orders Amid Ongoing Northern Operations

On June 4, 2025, the IDF Northern Command chief, Major General Uri Gordin, marked 19 years since the Second Lebanon War at Mount Adir. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the conflict's outbreak, the IDF authorized the publication of original operational documents from the war's onset in 2006. Among these is the Operations Directorate's order dated July 12, 2006, initiating Operation Just Reward, detailing preparations for simultaneous military actions in Gaza and Lebanon following a Hezbollah attack that kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others near the Lebanese border.

The documents reveal that the Israeli Air Force was prepared to strike targets and that the IDF anticipated heavy rocket fire, including Katyusha rockets, on Israeli rear areas. Another released document from August 12, 2006, outlines the security cabinet's decision to expand ground operations toward the Litani River, aiming to reduce rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and degrade Hezbollah's capabilities.

The release recalls the early war phase, Operation Density, where the IDF destroyed Hezbollah's Fajr rocket arsenal within 23 minutes to prevent severe damage to Israeli communities. Hezbollah's tactic of storing weapons near civilian sites and sensitive buildings remains a challenge. Recently, the IDF destroyed two 200-meter-long tunnels near the village of Majdal Zoun containing launch chambers and RPGs, while continuing to target militants transferring weapons to temporary positions along the Blue Line.

This military activity coincides with ongoing negotiations involving the US, Israel, and Lebanon, with talks planned in Rome to establish trial zones where the Lebanese army would assume control and dismantle terrorist infrastructure. Israeli officials have stressed that the IDF will not withdraw from areas like the Beaufort Ridge until all Hezbollah infrastructure, including underground facilities, is completely eliminated.

A senior IDF officer commented on the changed security posture since the surprise attack nearly three years ago, emphasizing a shift from passive defense to proactive operations deep inside enemy territory, reflecting a heightened belief in the threat and commitment to immediate response.