Mitzpe Shlagim outpost: ‘The eyes of the State of Israel’
'You can see the entire area - all of northern Israel, southern Lebanon, and Syria'
Located atop snow-capped Mount Hermon is the Mitzpe Shlagim lookout, Israel’s highest-altitude manned military outpost and a key observation site to monitor activity in Lebanon and Syria.
Mitzpe Shlagim, the lookout’s Hebrew name, translates to “Snow Observatory,” and the outpost offers dramatic, sweeping views of the surrounding area.
However, it’s a view that the soldiers stationed at the lookout cannot often appreciate - the troops delegate a majority of their time at the outpost to training in order to confront potential threats.
“We spend most of our day training, whether it's close combat fitness training, close contact engagement, and anything else needed for readiness,” Corporal Yonatan Va’Anunu told i24NEWS.
Mount Hermon is neighbored by both Syria and Lebanon, and as a result, Mitzpe Shlagim is a critical position for Israel’s military to observe potential threats from the two countries - like the Hezbollah drone which crossed into Israel’s airspace over the weekend.
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“These are the eyes of the State of Israel. When you come up here, you can see the entire area - all of northern Israel, southern Lebanon, and Syria,” Captain Yahli Aharon told i24NEWS from the outpost.
“We absolutely feel how important it is to be here on this mountain,” he said.