Israel poised for limited ground campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon
Israeli ground troops will soon begin, or may already have begun, small-scale operations on the Lebanese side of the border, reports ABC television, citing its American sources. The newspaper "Jerusalem Post" states that Israel has not yet decided on a ground operation but can do so at any moment.
ABC sources noted that they do not know whether Israel has already made a final decision on a ground operation against Hezbollah, but it is certainly prepared for it. The station emphasised that the scale of the Israeli land campaign will be limited.
"The situation is highly dynamic and could change at any moment, especially if Hezbollah manages to achieve a more deadly hit or hits on Israel's home front than it has achieved to date," wrote the "Jerusalem Post" on Sunday. In such a case, Israel would have to expedite the ground operation plan, and soldiers would likely enter deeper into Lebanese territory, the newspaper added.
The Israeli government has not yet decided whether a land offensive against Hezbollah will be necessary, but the military is paying attention to the weather. They are pushing to start a possible invasion in the coming weeks or days to conclude the fighting before the rainy autumn and especially before the harsh mountainous winter that prevails in southern Lebanon, noted the newspaper.
The Israeli armed forces have been conducting intensive air raids on Lebanon for the past week as part of the "Northern Arrows" operation aimed at restoring security in the north of the country. Due to ongoing Hezbollah shelling over the past year, more than 37,000 residents have had to flee the area. Israel emphasises that their strikes are targeted at Hezbollah's infrastructure and fighters.
According to Lebanese authorities, over 430 people have been killed in the air raids, several thousand have been injured, and more than 620,000 have had to flee their homes.
Israeli commanders have previously reported that soldiers are being prepared for a potential ground operation in southern Lebanon. Additional forces have been brought to the border. In recent days, numerous manoeuvres simulating combat in Lebanon have taken place.
If necessary, any ground operation will be "as swiftly as possible," said an anonymous representative of the Israeli defence establishment, quoted by AFP on Friday.
