Israel moves Golani Brigade from Gaza to Lebanon border as tensions spike

Israel's army chief ordered the transfer of the Golani infantry brigade from the Gaza Strip to the border with Lebanon, the military said on Wednesday, as Tel Aviv continues to expand its offensive in its northern neighbor.

A military statement said Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir ordered the Golani Brigade transferred from the Southern Command, which oversees Gaza, to operate under the Northern Command, which includes Lebanon.

The army said additional reinforcements to the northern sector will be considered based on further assessments.

Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that the decision effectively moves the Golani Brigade from Gaza to the Lebanese front.

The Israeli army said last week that forces under the Northern Command were positioned at several locations inside southern Lebanon.

According to the military, the 91st Division is operating in eastern southern Lebanon, the 210th Division in the Mount Dov (Shebaa Farms) area, and the 146th Division in western southern Lebanon.

It remains unclear whether deploying the Golani Brigade to Lebanon signals preparations for deeper ground operations, although the Israeli army warned residents last week to evacuate areas in southern Lebanon.

Nearly 600 people have been killed and around 1,500 others injured in Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon since March 2, amid cross-border attacks with Hezbollah, according to Lebanese authorities.

The escalation came amid rising regional tensions as a result of a joint US-Israeli offensive on Iran, which has so far killed more than 1,200 people and injured over 10,000 others since Feb. 28.