The Israeli military said on Monday it is close to completing its capture of the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, after an intense ground and air campaign that it says has killed more than 100 fighters from the group.

The operation is being led by the Israeli army’s 98th Division, which includes paratrooper and commando brigades, alongside the Givati Infantry Brigade. According to the military, the campaign began with efforts to isolate and surround the town, aiming to cut off Hezbollah reinforcements and prevent fighters from withdrawing.

Israeli military estimates had previously indicated that at least 150 Hezbollah operatives, including members of the group’s elite Radwan Force, were present in the Bint Jbeil area before the offensive began.

“Over the past week, forces completed the encirclement and launched a ground assault on the town,” the army said in a statement. “Troops eliminated more than 100 Hezbollah terrorists in close-quarters combat and through airstrikes, destroyed dozens of militant infrastructure sites, and uncovered hundreds of weapons.”

A military official said the 98th Division also carried out multiple commando raids as part of efforts to secure control of the area.

Since the start of the operation, the Israeli army said it has not recorded any attacks launched from Bint Jbeil toward Israel, though troops operating in the area have come under fire from Hezbollah fighters. The official noted that such attacks have become less frequent in recent days.

The military estimates it will take several more days to complete the operation, with forces focused on eliminating the remaining fighters—believed to number in the dozens—and dismantling the group’s remaining infrastructure in the town.

The Israeli military also said its forces have now taken control of the town’s stadium, the same site where the group's slain leader Hassan Nasrallah delivered his famous 2000 speech in which he described Israel as being “weaker than a spider’s web.”

“Back in 2000, someone stood here and spoke about webs and spiders,” 98th Division commander Brig. Gen. Guy Levy said in a message to troops. “Today, that man is gone, the stadium no longer stands, and those words have no meaning. In 2026, our forces control the area, dismantling terrorist infrastructure and eliminating dozens of militants.”

#عاجل قوات الفرقة 98 انجزت تطويق بلدة بنت جبيل وبدأت هجومًا عليها

🔸تواصل قوات لواء المظليين والكوماندوز وجفعاتي، تحت قيادة الفرقة 98 توسيع النشاط البري المركّز لتعزيز خط الدفاع الأمامي في جنوب لبنان.

🔸استكملت القوات خلال الأسبوع الأخير عملية تطويق بلدة بنت جبيل وبدأت هجومًا… pic.twitter.com/XygCQuKhU9

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) April 13, 2026

Separately, the Israeli army released footage showing the destruction of a Hezbollah tunnel in southern Lebanon. According to the military, soldiers from the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit inspected the underground passage before demolishing it. The army said the tunnel did not extend into Israeli territory.