IDF Alpinist Unit crosses Syrian Hermon into south Lebanon for rare intelligence raid at Mount Dov

IDF Alpinist Unit reservists, operating under the 810th 'Mountains' Regional Brigade, conducted a rare cross-border intelligence operation from the Syrian Hermon into the Mount Dov area of southern Lebanon — crossing through snow in complex mountainous terrain. The mission objective was to scan the area, collect intelligence, and locate Hezbollah terror infrastructure in the Mount Dov area. Israel has maintained nine posts inside southern Syria since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, including two on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon. The Hermon-to-Lebanon crossing represents an expansion of IDF operations: from observation/interdiction on the Syrian side to active intelligence collection inside Lebanese territory. IDF cited previous operations to prevent weapon smuggling from Syria into Lebanon via the Hermon route as context.