Israel announces new special unit to confront Hezbollah in ground warfare

The Israeli army has formed a new combat unit that will be used in any future war with Lebanese Hezbollah, Israeli media reported on Tuesday.

The unit, which bears the number 888 and is named 'Ghosts', combines advanced and diversified intelligence and aerial fire capabilities, according to a report by the website Walla.

Originally established in 2019, the unit was developed for "secret capabilities". The report said senior officers and soldiers were recruited from other elite units in the army with the aim of developing the unit's technological capabilities, and whose work will entail activating drones of various types, secret communication capabilities, and control and monitoring systems.

In the event of warfare, the unit would be tasked with tracking and monitoring "enemy forces" and revealing their locations, with a focus on Hezbollah's elite units in southern Lebanon's hilly terrain, according to Walla.

Israel and Hezbollah last fought a war in 2006, and since then have engaged in smaller altercations along the border.

The Israeli military has warned Beirut of any future conflict, holding the Lebanese government fully responsible for any hostile activity carried out by Hezbollah. The Iran-backed force has in turn warned Israel that it will use full force if it decides to attack.

Several Hezbollah operatives have been killed in Israeli strikes over the past years in Syria, where the group is backing the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad.