Golani’s 13th Battalion Commander Speaks from Lebanon After Securing the Saluki Area

Fighters from Golani’s 13th Battalion, which fought bloody defensive battles on October 7 and lost 52 fighters and commanders in the prolonged fighting, are now at the forefront of the battle in Lebanon. They are currently working to clear the Saluki area of Hezbollah terror infrastructure, deep inside enemy territory. “When you stand on the significant Beaufort Ridge, you see the vast area we have created between the enemy and the residents of the north,” says the battalion commander, Lt. Col. M., in a special interview.

Lt. Col. M. said this after fighters from Brigade Combat Team 7 and the Egoz Unit, under the command of Division 36, gained operational control of the area north of the Saluki stream, as part of the divisional effort to strengthen operational control in southern Lebanon. The IDF said the area is used by Hezbollah as infrastructure for launching explosive drones and firing rockets at IDF forces. During the activity, in coordination with the Air Force, they destroyed hundreds of terror infrastructures and eliminated more than 50 militants. Weapons were also found, including explosive devices, anti-tank missiles and anti-tank launchers.

The 13th Battalion operates under the command of Brigade 7, from where M. offers a glimpse into the combat conditions, the terror group’s weapons caches and the fighters’ belief in changing the face of the northern border. “The public in Israel heard about Operation Northern Arrows, but it does not understand the scale of the strategic change in the current maneuver,” M. said. “If in the past we stood on the gate line, today we are up front, to prevent the enemy from carrying out raids and firing mortars. When you stand on Beaufort Ridge or in the Saluki valley, you suddenly see the vast expanse with your own eyes. This is something people in Israel must understand. It is a completely different security concept from anything we have known since October 7. I did not need to tell the fighters why we were going in, even now everything is very clear. We are here to enable the residents of the north to live in peace. Wherever they tell us to go, we will go. They say Beirut, we go to Beirut.”

He also spoke with pain about the late Liam Ben Hamou, a battalion fighter who was killed by an explosive drone strike. “This is an event that hurts us very much. But like with everything in combat, we learn little by little how to deal with it. We put on certain protections and find operating methods. The Jewish mind finds solutions to everything. This threat does not limit us on the way to fighting,” he said.

When asked about the enormous quantities of weapons the enemy left behind, and about reports of advanced rockets and anti-helicopter missiles, the battalion commander was not surprised. “Already a month and a half ago I said I was impressed by the crazy quantities of weapons we found there, of all types and kinds. But on the other hand, this is a well-known picture in guerrilla warfare, every time the IDF reaches a point, the enemy flees to the rear lines. That is exactly what serves the security of the residents of the north.

“What is happening in the battalion is extraordinary, thanks to the career soldiers, the combat support troops and the fighters. It is the most amazing thing there is in the world. The battalion took a very hard hit on October 7. I have veteran NCOs. Who would have believed they would hold out for such a long period? They create our anchor and stability. Golani is the people’s brigade. It is important for me to give huge appreciation to the reservists and the families of the fighters. The home front is our source of strength. My personal source of strength is my wife and my child. They are all the strength we have to keep going.”