Israel’s planned ground offensive against the Hezbollah militia may be imminent: According to the military chief, the army is preparing a maneuver in which it will “enter enemy territory.”
The Israeli army says it is preparing a maneuver in which “military boots will enter enemy territory.” Israel’s heavy attacks on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon also served to prepare for a possible ground offensive, said Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi during a visit near the northern border. To do this, the terrorist militia’s infrastructure should first be destroyed.
According to military sources, Israel wants to ensure that residents from the north can return there, Halevi said. In a possible offensive, they would “penetrate villages that Hezbollah has prepared as large military outposts.” The Israeli soldiers are “much stronger and much more experienced” than the Hezbollah fighters.
Israel mobilizes reservists
The military also announced that it had mobilized some of its reservists for deployment in the north of the country. This will ensure that the fight against Hezbollah can continue. The announcement is another sign that Israel could expand its military operations against Hezbollah.
First missile in Tel Aviv airspace
A few hours earlier, Hezbollah had entered the airspace of the Israeli city of Tel Aviv for the first time with a rocket. The militia said the target was the headquarters of the Israeli foreign intelligence service Mossad. Hezbollah blames the Mossad for the explosion of its fighters’ communication devices.
The Israeli army said the rocket had been intercepted. It was headed towards civilian areas in Tel Aviv, and the Mossad headquarters are not in this area. The militia has increased the range of its fire and will receive a strong response, said army chief Halevi.
The Israeli army said it attacked more than 280 Hezbollah positions today, including 60 attacks on the militia’s intelligence bases.
According to Lebanese authorities, at least 51 people were killed in the air strikes. 223 people were wounded, said Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad. Since the beginning of the week, more than 600 people have been killed in the fiercest fighting in Lebanon in two decades.
Tens of thousands flee the fighting
According to the UN, more than 90,000 people have fled the fighting. Almost 40,000 of them have found shelter in emergency shelters, the International Organization for Migration said.
Thousands of refugees have been forced to flee towards Syria, the UN Refugee Agency reported. These include not only Syrians who once sought refuge from the civil war in their homeland of Lebanon, but also Lebanese. Hundreds of cars with desperate people are parked at the border. Many are also arriving on foot, with their few belongings in boxes and suitcases – including women and small children.
Meanwhile, diplomatic attempts to end the escalation of attacks are continuing at the UN General Assembly in New York. The USA has started an attempt to find a common solution to the conflicts in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, reports the Reuters news agency, citing people familiar with the matter. “The danger of escalation in the region is acute,” said US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. Hezbollah, which is allied with Hamas, has repeatedly announced that it would only stop shelling northern Israel if the Gaza war ended.