The Israeli newspaper Maariv acknowledged that the Israeli army’s destruction of bridges over the Litani River failed to achieve its stated goal of isolating southern Lebanon and cutting off reinforcements to Hezbollah resistance.
Maariv’s military analyst Avi Ashkenazi, citing Israeli military sources, warned that current Israeli approach in Lebanon is based on defensive one only and risks strategic failure.
Ashkenazi admitted that the Litani River’s water level is only knee-deep, allowing Hezbollah fighters to cross without relying on bridges or established routes during clashes.
This assessment undercuts earlier claims by Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, who had boasted that bombing most of the Litani bridges would effectively sever southern Lebanon from the rest of the country.
“Although Defense Minister Yisrael Katz claimed the Israel Defense Forces had destroyed most bridges over the Litani River to isolate southern Lebanon, the army now acknowledges that the river’s knee-deep water level allows fighters to cross without relying on bridges, enabling reinforcements to move freely despite the strikes,” Ashkenazi wrote, referring to Israeli occupation forces.
As of April 2026, Israeli airstrikes have systematically targeted and destroyed key bridges over the Litani River in southern Lebanon, cutting off residents and isolating the region from the rest of the country.
In a report on April 16, Human Rights Watch warned that Israeli bridge attack constituted a potential war crime.
Meanwhile in his article, Ashkenazi said that the current Israeli approach in Lebanon risks strategic failure.
According to the Israeli military analyst, ‘Israel’ is effectively fighting a limited, defensive battle on only part of the field rather than across the full arena of confrontation. He cautioned that the army is not currently operating with a meaningful offensive strategy, a pattern he has previously criticized as lacking clear direction and continuity in military operations.
Using a football analogy, the analyst argued that a force confined to partial defense without launching attacks significantly increases its vulnerability. In such a scenario, he stressed, the likelihood of being caught off guard or outmaneuvered becomes high.
“Israel is fighting a defensive battle on only part of the field in Lebanon—not across the full arena. More critically, it is doing so without any real offensive play. And in football terms, when a team confines itself to partial defense without attacking, it inevitably increases the risk of being caught off guard, Ashkenazi wrote.
Source: Hebrew media (translated and edited by Al-Manar)