Six months after the November 2024 ceasefire with Lebanon, Israel is adjusting its military deployment along the northern frontier, signaling a shift toward a more routine defensive posture.
According to Israeli military radio, the Israeli Army Northern Command has reassigned control of the Lebanese border to the 91st Division, also known as the Galilee Division. This unit will now oversee the entire stretch from Ras Naqoura on the Mediterranean coast to Mount Hermon in the east, taking over from the 146th Armored Division.
The 91st Division had been the primary force along the border prior to the October 2023 war. However, amid escalating hostilities with Hezbollah, its responsibilities were split with the 146th Division, one of Israel’s largest reserve units, typically deployed during high-intensity operations.
The re-deployment of the Galilee Division and the withdrawal of the 146th mark a significant moment, the first return to a more standard defensive configuration since the outbreak of the war. Despite this normalization, Israeli officials remain on high alert due to the continued threat of escalation along the Lebanese frontier.
The 146th Division played a pivotal role during the war, having been deployed to counter Hezbollah’s elite Radwan forces in southern Lebanon. Initially assigned to Gaza operations, its command also oversaw military efforts in the West Bank and northern regions. In October 2024, the Israeli army confirmed the unit’s involvement in “limited, localized, and targeted” missions in southwest Lebanon.
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