 | This article needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(October 2024) |
| Battle of Odaisseh | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon | |||||
 Israel Hezbollah presence in Lebanon Areas ordered evacuated by Israel Seehere for a more detailed map. | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
 Israel |  Hezbollah | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
 Capt. Harel Ettinger †[1] | Unknown | ||||
| Units involved | |||||
| Redwan Force | |||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| 8+ soldiers killed 48+ soldiers wounded[1][2] | 30+ fighters killed (Per IDF)[1] | ||||
A battle began in the village ofOdaisseh insouthern Lebanon on 1 October 2024, amid the2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
On 1 October 2024,Israel began aninvasion of Lebanon as part of the2024 Israel–Hezbollah war and theIsrael–Hezbollah conflict, results of thespillover of theGaza war. It began afterHezbollah faced a series of setbacks in September 2024 that degraded its capabilities[3][4] and eliminated most of its leadership;[5][6] beginning with thepager explosions,[7][8] followed by anIsraeli airstrikes campaign targeting Hezbollah throughout Lebanon,[9] killing over 800 and injuring at least 5,000 in a week, and culminating in the 27 Septemberassassination of Hezbollah leaderHassan Nasrallah.[10][11]
On 1 October, Hezbollah claimed that it had targeted IDF soldiers in towns opposite ofOdaisseh.[12]
On 2 October, Hezbollah stated that Israeli forces were ambushed by Hezbollah fighters in Odaisseh and forced to retreat while attempting to dismantle militant infrastructure. Six soldiers from theEgoz Unit were killed in the clash and several others were injured, including five critically. The IDF said that another 20 Hezbollah militants were killed during the clash.[13][14]
Early in the morning on 2 October 2024, a force of theEgoz unit moved towards the village, they were observed before their arrival, andRadwan Force militants set up an ambush. Amongst the heavy fog, the Egoz Unit personnel entered one of the buildings in the village, around 04:30 in the morning, when they were attacked from several directions.[15] Under the haze and fog, theIsraeli Air Force could not provide combat support so the special operatives from theUnit 669 were deployed to rescue and evacuate the trapped personnel.[16] At a point in the battle, the Hezbollah militants tried to kidnap the dead bodies of Egoz Unit personnel but were thwarted in this attempt.[17] Eight Egoz fighters were killed during the fighting, including the team commander Capt. Harel Ettinger. TheRedwan Force personnel entrenched themselves in a mosque which was then attacked by a UAV.[1] In this engagement 6 Egoz Unit personnel were killed and 30 were wounded including 7 seriously, moreover IDF claimed to have killed 30 Hezbollah militants during the engagement.[1]
Later on the same day, an ambush by Hezbollah killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded 18.[2] According toAl Jazeera English analysts, the attack was a victory for Hezbollah.[18] The Lebanese army said that an Israeli force crossed theBlue Line in Odaisseh and claimed they retreated after an incursion of about 400 meters.[19]
On 3 October, Hezbollah said that it targeted Israeli soldiers in al-Thaghra on the outskirts of Odaisseh.[20]
Hezbollah-affiliated sources stated that the IDF withdrew from Odaisseh and Kfar Kila.[21]
A number of buildings in Odaisseh were demolished by the Israeli military, among them a cultural centre and the family home of Lubnan Baalbaki, the conductor of Lebanon’s philharmonic orchestra. The centre was full of his father's, the artist Abdel-Hamid Baalbaki (ar), collection of fine art and pottery, in addition to 2,000 manuscripts and books.[22]
By 3 November, around 20 percent of buildings in Odaisseh were damaged.[23]
Israeli forces withdrew from Odaisseh on 18 February 2025 following the expiration of the extended deadline of theIsrael–Lebanon ceasefire agreement that came into effect on 27 November 2024. The Lebanese Army deployed to the village shortly after.[24] Lebanese residents returned to their homes, finding them largely destroyed by Israeli forces.[25]
"An Israeli enemy force breached the Blue Line approximately 400 metres into Lebanese territory in the areas of Khirbet Yaroun and Odaisseh, then withdrew after a short period," the army said on X.
