Unveiling the tactics: Israel's psychological warfare amidst military operations in southern Lebanon

In parallel with the military war waged by Israel in southern Lebanon, another type intensified — psychological warfare. 

The "scorched-earth policy" was the first tactic employed by the [Israeli] occupation, burning hundreds of hectares of agricultural lands and forests to expose the movement of resistance elements and their locations.

After "clearing" the forests and valleys, the Israeli forces moved on to target the heart of villages, as seen in Aita Al-Shaab and Khiam, under the pretext of hitting resistance sites. 

These attacks prompted a large number of residents of border villages to evacuate, a "card" that the Israelis tried to use to pressure Hezbollah. 

Firstly, by evacuating civilians from the villages, making any movement within them a military target, and secondly, by exploiting the social cost incurred by displacement to turn the inhabitants of the border villages against the resistance.

Israel's psychological war also includes spreading panic among citizens, whether through "mock" air raids and sound barrier breaches or by showcasing its surveillance capabilities by announcing the launch of large observation balloons. 

All of this does not negate the fact that Israel is in a dilemma. Northern settlers refuse to return to their evacuated areas as long as the threat of Hezbollah's presence on the borders persists, unlike the residents of the south who return to their villages once displaced. 

Additionally, it faces systematic targeting by Hezbollah of surveillance devices and sites on the border.