BINT JBEIL, LEBANON (VINnews) – The Israel Defense Forces have nearly completed their capture of the strategic southern Lebanon town of Bint Jbeil, a longtime Hezbollah symbol, killing more than 100 terrorists in the process, the military said Monday.

The operation, led by the IDF’s 98th Division along with its Paratroopers Brigade, Commando units and the Givati Infantry Brigade, involved encircling the town to prevent reinforcements or escapes before launching a ground offensive last week.

“At least 150 Hezbollah operatives, including members of the terror group’s elite Radwan Force, were estimated to be in the area ahead of the operation,” an IDF official said.

Over the past week, troops engaged in close-quarters combat and called in airstrikes, eliminating more than 100 terrorists, destroying dozens of terrorist infrastructures and locating hundreds of weapons, according to the IDF. Forces also captured the town’s stadium, the site of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s infamous 2000 “spider web” victory speech following Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

“Bint Jbeil 2000: There was someone here who spoke and boasted about webs and spiders. Today, that man no longer exists, the stadium is gone, and his words are worth nothing,” 98th Division commander Brig. Gen. Guy Levy wrote in a message to his troops. “Bint Jbeil 2026: Our forces control the area, destroying terror infrastructure and dozens of terrorists.”

The IDF released footage showing an Egoz Commando unit using an FPV drone to strike a Hezbollah operative in an urban area of the town. A second operative was killed shortly afterward in a similar strike, while Maglan forces directed an airstrike that eliminated three additional terrorists.

Since the main offensive began, the IDF has detected no rocket or other attacks launched from Bint Jbeil into Israel, though troops have come under sporadic fire from within the town. Officials said the rate of attacks on Israeli forces is slowing.

The military estimates it will take a few more days to fully secure the town and eliminate the remaining Hezbollah operatives.

Bint Jbeil holds deep symbolic importance for Hezbollah. In May 2000, Nasrallah delivered a victory speech in the town’s stadium, famously describing Israel as “weaker than a spider web.” During the 2006 Second Lebanon War, the IDF fought intense battles there but did not fully capture the town.

The current operation is part of Israel’s broader effort to degrade Hezbollah’s military capabilities along the border following the group’s violations of the November 2024 ceasefire.