Israeli Channel 12 has revealed details of a major incident involving occupation forces following an attack by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on 28 March, describing it as a serious “moral and leadership failure”.
According to the report, Hezbollah launched a large-scale assault on an Israeli force that had advanced into southern Lebanon, using intense rocket fire and mortar shells.
Casualties and Sudden Withdrawal
The attack resulted in the death of a paratrooper and left three others seriously wounded. Instead of continuing the operation, senior command ordered an immediate withdrawal from the field, instructing troops to abandon several engineering vehicles at the site without recovery.
Senior military officials reportedly condemned the conduct of the soldiers and the decision-making process, describing the retreat and abandonment of equipment as a significant ethical and leadership breakdown. They stated that the situation did not warrant a panicked withdrawal of that scale.
Abandoned Equipment and Aftermath
The report further revealed that Hezbollah fighters reached the abandoned engineering vehicles and rigged them with explosives, intending to detonate them upon the return of Israeli troops. After discovering this, the army carried out airstrikes on the equipment to prevent potential casualties.
A senior military source described the incident as “serious” and indicative of leadership failure, both in the conduct of the troops and in the decisions that escalated the situation.
The source added that leaving engineering equipment behind in a hostile area is highly exceptional, particularly when such equipment could be utilised by opposing forces.
