Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
Israel's national military; fighting in Lebanon and Iran simultaneously since February 2026.
On 12 August, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) demolished a school in Eastern Zawtar while retaining its Lebanon security zone, a deployment central to the front since the Beaufort Castle advance on 1 June.
Last refreshed: 22 October 2026 · Appears in 2 active topics
Will the IDF withdraw from south Lebanon or hold the security zone indefinitely?
Timeline for Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
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Iran Conflict 2026: Israeli forces detonate a Zawtar schoolBackground
The Israel Defense Forces are Israel’s unified national military. Created in 1948, the IDF combines ground, air and naval forces under a chief of general staff who answers to civilian defence leadership. A standing force is backed by a large reserve system, and conscription applies to most Jewish and Druze citizens.
The IDF’s missions include territorial defence, intelligence, air and missile defence, and operations beyond Israel’s borders. Its command structure must sustain several theatres at once, including Lebanon and Iran, while protecting Israeli population centres. The reserve model gives the military rapid scale but also links prolonged mobilisation to the wider economy and society. The IDF is therefore both an armed force and a central institution in Israeli public life.
It retains the Lebanon security zone
On 1 and 2 June, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) captured Beaufort Castle north of the Litani, marking its first occupation of the position since the 2000 withdrawal. The advance continued while a Ceasefire covered Beirut but excluded the southern front, placing the force at the centre of a separate ground campaign.
On 12 August, Israeli forces demolished the four-storey Sheikh Naim Mahdi School in Eastern Zawtar. The operation showed that the IDF's role in the zone still included destructive ground action while talks on expanded protected areas remained stalled.
It retains the Lebanon security zone
What has the IDF destroyed in southern Lebanon since the ceasefire?
Did the IDF shoot down Hezbollah drones in April 2026?
Reference
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Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 22 October 2026. Editorial standards.