Israel on the brink of ground invasion, Hezbollah tensions rise
Israeli ground forces will soon begin or may have already started small-scale operations on the Lebanese side of the border, reports ABC television, citing its American sources. The "Jerusalem Post" states that Israel has not yet decided on a ground operation but could do so at any moment.
ABC sources noted that they do not know whether Israel has made a final decision on a ground operation against Hezbollah, but it is certainly prepared for one. The station emphasized that the scope of the Israeli ground campaign will be limited.
"The situation is very dynamic and can change at any moment, especially if Hezbollah manages to carry out an attack resulting in more casualties or causing more damage to civilians than so far," wrote the "Jerusalem Post" on Sunday. In such a case, Israel might accelerate the ground operation plan, with soldiers likely moving deeper into Lebanese territory, the daily added.
The Israeli government has not yet decided whether a ground assault on Hezbollah will be necessary, but the military is paying close attention to the weather. They are pushing to start a potential invasion in the coming weeks or days to conclude the fighting before the rainy fall and especially before the harsh mountain winter prevalent in southern Lebanon, the newspaper noted.
For a week now, the Israeli armed forces have been conducting intensive airstrikes on Lebanon as part of Operation "Northern Arrows," aimed at restoring security in the northern part of the country. Due to Hezbollah's shelling over the past year, more than 60,000 residents have had to flee from there. Israel emphasizes that their strikes target Hezbollah infrastructure and fighters.
According to Lebanese authorities, more than 700 people have been killed in the airstrikes, several thousand have been injured, and over a million have had to flee their homes.
Israeli commanders have previously indicated that soldiers are being prepared for a possible ground operation in southern Lebanon. Additional forces have been moved to the border. In recent days, numerous maneuvers simulating combat in Lebanon have been conducted.
If necessary, any potential ground operation will be "as short as possible," said an anonymous representative of the Israeli defense establishment, quoted by AFP on Friday.
