The Post visited southern Lebanon with the IDF to see the newly established position in Ait a Shaab, a former Hezbollah stronghold.
The IDF’s 162nd Division is currently operating in the western sector of the de facto buffer zone that Israel has established over the past two months north of the international border with Lebanon. The Yellow Line, which now separates this area from the rest of Lebanon, lies roughly 15 km. from the Israeli border in the sector held by the division.
The IDF this week allowed Israeli military correspondents their first access to the buffer zone in the area under the 162nd Division’s control. The Jerusalem Post was among the outlets that took part in the visit.
The 162nd Division in Gaza and Lebanon
The 162nd Division, attached to the IDF’s Southern Command, was engaged in continuous combat from October 7, 2023, until the conclusion of the Gaza ceasefire in October 2025. Its units were redeployed in full to the north after Hezbollah joined the renewed hostilities on March 4 of this year. Since then, with both global and Israeli attention largely focused on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, the division has been engaged in fighting Tehran’s proxy Shi’ite militias across the green hillsides and villages of the border region.
The fighting was intense in its early stages. Hezbollah’s presence in the area had been limited prior to the renewal of hostilities, but the group rapidly reinforced its positions in anticipation of an IDF incursion. In the initial phase following the advance, infantry and armored forces from the 162nd Division encountered determined resistance. Dozens of anti-tank missiles were fired daily at advancing Israeli forces. Hezbollah fighters also employed sustained mortar fire and FPV drones in an effort to slow the IDF’s progress.
These tactics ultimately failed to prevent the establishment of the expanded buffer zone. The 162nd Division lost four soldiers during the operation—three from the Nahal Reconnaissance Company and one from the 401st Armored Brigade. According to the division’s figures, 251 identified Hezbollah fighters were killed. Prior to the current 10-day ceasefire, the division was engaged in the ongoing task of clearing remaining Hezbollah cells located south of the Yellow Line. At present, both sides are replenishing supplies and preparing for a potential next round of fighting.
IDF’s Nahal Infantry Brigade established a position in Ait a Shaab, southern Lebanon, April 19. 2026. (credit: JONATHAN SPYER)
The rationale behind the expanded buffer zone is clear: to place Israeli border communities beyond the range of Hezbollah anti-tank missiles. It also reflects an effort to prevent any future attack resembling the events of October 7. However, the establishment of such a zone does not address the broader threat posed by Hezbollah’s missile and drone capabilities, which can be deployed from positions further north.
Aita al-Shaab, once a major Hezbollah stronghold
Aita al-Shaab, where the division hosted journalists this week, was once a major Hezbollah stronghold along the border. The IDF’s Paratroopers Brigade fought a fierce battle in the town during the 2006 war. Earlier, it lay within the “Security Zone” maintained by Israel from 1985 to 2000, during which time it served as a significant base for Hezbollah’s insurgency.
A key question regarding the newly established buffer zone is why its architects believe it will avoid the fate of the previous Security Zone, from which Israel withdrew unilaterally in May 2000 without ending Hezbollah’s attacks. At that time, the IDF faced a sustained guerrilla campaign that resulted in a steady toll of Israeli casualties.
Clues as to how Israel hopes to avoid a similar outcome today may be found in the current condition of Aita al-Shaab itself.