Israel launches raids on Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon
Israeli ground forces inside southern Lebanon were backed by air and artillery support.
Israel initiated targeted raids into southern Lebanon, focusing on Hezbollah forces and their infrastructure along the northern border. The military action followed hours after Israel’s security cabinet reportedly approved a new phase in the ongoing conflict with the Lebanese militant group. The United States, while expressing earlier concerns, later appeared to offer support for the operation.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!In the early hours of Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that the “targeted and limited” incursion had begun earlier that night. The operation aimed to neutralize Hezbollah positions in several Lebanese villages near the Blue Line, which separates Lebanon and Israel. According to the IDF, these Hezbollah positions posed an imminent threat to Israeli towns on the other side of the border.
Israeli ground forces inside southern Lebanon were backed by air and artillery support, with the operation carried out based on strategies developed by the IDF’s General Staff and Northern Command. The raids mark a significant escalation in Israel’s efforts to counter Hezbollah’s presence near its northern frontier.
Reports of Israeli troops crossing into Lebanon surfaced on social media and Arabic news outlets earlier in the evening, though they remained unconfirmed until the IDF’s official announcement. Adding to the speculation, Lebanese forces stationed near the border reportedly pulled back approximately five kilometres (three miles) on Monday night. Historically, Lebanese troops have opted to remain on the sidelines in major conflicts involving Israel and Hezbollah, and their withdrawal suggested they might be taking a similar stance this time.
The objective of this attack is to dismantle Hezbollah positions along the northern border and create conditions for a diplomatic agreement. Such an agreement would push Hezbollah forces back beyond the Litani River, as stipulated by a previous United Nations Security Council resolution.
Earlier on Monday, the Biden administration had expressed reservations about the potential for even a limited military operation to escalate into a wider conflict. However, following a call between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the US seemed to support the raids. In the Pentagon’s readout of the conversation, Austin emphasized the importance of dismantling Hezbollah’s attack infrastructure along the border to prevent future assaults on northern Israel, referencing the devastating October 7 attacks as a key concern.
The situation remains fluid, and while the current operation is intended to be limited, it could mark the beginning of more extensive military action, depending on Hezbollah’s response and the broader geopolitical landscape.
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