Israel's new ground offensive in Lebanon sparks criticism

Israel initiated a ground operation in Lebanon. The troops entered the neighbouring state's territory from the night of 30 September to 1 October. As stated by the Israel Defense Forces, the targets are facilities located in villages and towns in the south of the country, which pose a threat to the northern part of Israel. The military installations of Hezbollah—the Lebanese terrorist organisation—are the focus.

This is another time that Israel has undertaken a ground military operation within the past year. After the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, the IDF entered the Gaza Strip. The war in the region has been ongoing for nearly 12 months. Now, its next stage has begun. Remember, Israel has been shelling targets in Lebanon for a week. On Monday (30 September), the target of the attacks was the capital of Lebanon—Beirut.

Gideon Levy is an Israeli journalist who publishes his columns in the daily "Haaretz". Despite this, he does not support Benjamin Netanyahu's government's actions. He is critical of Israel's policy, including towards the occupied Palestinian territories. Now, he has clearly stated his position on the IDF's actions.

Israel is shooting here, and Israel is assassinating there, and Israel is bombing here, and Israel is bombing there. Where are we aiming to? I mean, all those operations might be [inaudible], to them, are justified. But what comes next? - wonders the columnist.

Israel has already managed to eliminate the leadership of Hezbollah, with its leader Hassan Nasrallah at the forefront. Despite this, military and political leaders see the necessity of continuing the armed operation and on a broader scale.

Hezbollah controls large areas of Lebanon and constitutes a military force more powerful than the country's army. Its armed wing is considered a terrorist organisation by the West. Hezbollah has been fighting Israel for decades with varying intensity.