An Israeli channel revealed on Monday evening that an Israeli special force failed to cross the Litani River in southern Lebanon and fell into a Hezbollah ambush, as it was surprised by heavy fire directed at it, resulting in the death of one soldier and the injury of 20 others, including officers.
Channel 15 reported, citing an Israeli army investigation, that the operation aimed to control an area within the Beaufort region of southern Lebanon, where a joint force from the Yahalom unit and Battalion 890 was subjected to mortar and rocket fire.
She added: “In this incident, Sergeant Moshe Yitzhak Hacohen was killed and about 20 other soldiers and officers were injured.”
The Israeli army announced that Hacohen was killed in Lebanon during a night battle on March 27.
She explained that an investigation conducted by the Israeli army revealed on Monday evening that “during the first days of fighting on the banks of the Litani River in the Beaufort area, a joint force from the 890th Paratrooper Battalion and a force from the Yahalom Unit (engineering forces) went out to carry out a special mission aimed at controlling an area on the other side of the river.”
She noted that the force had been preparing for the mission for about 36 hours, including acquiring engineering equipment, according to the same source.
She continued, “During the execution of the mission, heavy fire was opened on the joint force, with dozens of mortar shells and rockets being fired at it within a few minutes by Hezbollah.”
The channel explained that during the shelling, Sergeant Moshe Yitzhak Hauhen was killed, and about twenty soldiers and officers were wounded to varying degrees.
She added, “The rescue operation for the injured took place while the commander hesitated to stop or continue the vital operation despite being under fire.”
Based on the results of the investigation, she said, “Due to the number of injuries, it was not possible to complete the mission, after the element of surprise and the decisive crossing were compromised.”
She noted that “Yahalom’s force withdrew and left behind equipment, including bulldozers and rubber boats, while Battalion 890 remained deep inside enemy territory (referring to the Lebanese Hezbollah) for a long time under fire, where it provided cover for the evacuation of the wounded.”
According to the investigation: “After more than an hour, and as part of a joint assessment of the situation by the (Northern) region commander and the division commander, it was decided to halt the mission and carry out a tactical withdrawal in order to preserve the ability to continue operations in the future and to save the force.”
On March 2, Hezbollah attacked an Israeli military site in response to Tel Aviv’s continued attacks on Lebanon despite the ceasefire agreement in effect since November 2014, and its assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
On the same day, Israel began a new aggression against Lebanon, through air raids on the southern suburbs of Beirut and areas in the south and east of the country. On March 3, it also began a ground incursion under the pretext of creating a “security” zone free of Hezbollah weapons.
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