Sonali Ray, writer
Brief news
- Israeli ground forces have launched targeted operations in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah, escalating the yearlong conflict and responding to missile attacks on northern Israel amid the ongoing Gaza War.
- The military campaign aims to dismantle Hezbollah’s capabilities, following significant Israeli airstrikes that have killed many of its leaders and disrupted its operations, while Hezbollah vows to continue fighting despite recent setbacks.
- The situation raises concerns of a broader regional conflict, with international calls for a ceasefire as Israel intensifies its military focus on Lebanon, potentially impacting civilians and increasing tensions with Iran.
Detailed news
On Tuesday morning, Israeli ground forces entered southern Lebanon, thereby initiating a new front in the yearlong conflict against its Iranian-backed adversaries and escalating an offensive against Hezbollah militants.
The incursion is intended to intensify the pressure on Hezbollah, which has been firing missiles into northern Israel since the onset of the Gaza War. This action follows weeks of severe blows delivered by Israel against the organization, including an airstrike that resulted in the death of its longtime commander, Hassan Nasrallah. Israel and Hezbollah last engaged in ground combat during a month-long conflict in 2006.
Israel’s military issued a terse statement announcing the commencement of “targeted, localized, and limited ground raids” against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.
“These targets are situated in villages that are in close proximity to the border and present an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel,” it stated.
The duration of the operation was not disclosed; however, the army disclosed that soldiers had been conducting training and preparations for the mission in recent months. Israel has declared that it will persist in its strikes against the group until it is secure for displaced Israelis from border communities to return to their homes.
Three small border communities were proclaimed a “closed military zone” by Israel, restricting access to only army personnel, and minor ground raids were conducted inside Lebanon prior to the Israeli announcement, according to United States officials.
There were no reports of direct confrontations between Israeli personnel and Hezbollah militants. However, the noises of airstrikes were audible throughout Beirut, and Israeli artillery units continued to bombard targets in southern Lebanon throughout the evening.
Israel ordered the evacuation of inhabitants from three buildings shortly after smoke began to rise from the southern suburbs of the capital, where Hezbollah maintains a significant presence.
Israel initiates a perilous phase of combat.
Israel appears to be determined to administer a devastating strike to its archenemy, as evidenced by its recent battlefield victories against Hezbollah. However, a ground operation signifies the onset of a new and potentially hazardous phase of combat. It also poses a threat to inflict additional destruction on Lebanon, where recent Israeli attacks have resulted in the deaths of hundreds and the displacement of hundreds of thousands.
Hezbollah is a well-trained militia that is estimated to possess an arsenal of 150,000 projectiles and missiles and tens of thousands of combatants. A stalemate was the result of the final round of combat in 2006.
For the past two decades, both parties have been preparing for their forthcoming confrontation. Although Hezbollah has amassed an impressive arsenal, Israel has allocated substantial resources to intelligence gathering and training.
The recent airstrikes that resulted in the destruction of the majority of Hezbollah’s top leadership and the detonation of hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to the organization suggest that Israel has successfully infiltrated the organization’s upper echelons.
Despite its recent setbacks, Hezbollah pledged to continue its battle on Monday. In a televised statement, Naim Kassem, the group’s interim commander, declared that Hezbollah would be prepared for a ground operation. He stated that the commanders who were slain in recent weeks have already been replaced.
Hezbollah’s political affairs are overseen by Hashem Safieddine, a cousin of Nasrallah, who is widely anticipated to succeed Kassem in the top position.
Israel redirects its focus from Gaza to Lebanon.
In recent weeks, Israeli attacks have struck what the military claims are thousands of militant targets in extensive regions of Lebanon. According to the Health Ministry, more than 1,000 individuals have been slain in Lebanon over the past two weeks, with nearly 25% of the victims being women and children.
Three Palestinian militants were killed in a residential building in central Beirut by an airstrike on Monday morning. Israel appeared to be sending a message that no part of Lebanon is off-limits.
After Hamas’ cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of 250 others, Israel proclaimed war on the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip. The local health officials have reported that over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, with women and children comprising just over half of the fatalities.
On October 8, Hezbollah initiated rocket fire into Israel in support of the Palestinian militant organization.
Since that time, Israel and Hezbollah have engaged in a daily exchange of fire, nearly escalating to a full-scale conflict on numerous occasions before ultimately retreating.
Israel has recently reduced its military operations against Hamas and has shifted its attention to Lebanon, where it has intensified its attacks on Hezbollah.
Israeli leaders have expressed their desire for Hezbollah to comply with the U.S. resolution that concluded the 2006 conflict, which mandated the group’s withdrawal from the Israeli border by approximately 20 miles (30 kilometers).
Significant setbacks for Hezbollah
In recent weeks, Hezbollah has encountered significant setbacks. Prior to Nasrallah’s assassination, a series of enigmatic detonation of pagers and walkie-talkies, which were attributed to Israel, resulted in the deaths or injuries of hundreds of individuals, including numerous Hezbollah members. Additionally, the majority of the group’s senior commanders have been slain in Israeli bombardment.
However, it is still believed that Hezbollah has thousands of combatants near the Israeli border and continues to discharge rockets and missiles into Israel.
For years, Israeli leaders have accused Hezbollah of concealing weapons and combatants within residences and other civilian structures in border villages. Recent weeks have seen tens of thousands of Lebanese civilians flee southern Lebanon in anticipation of an Israeli military assault.
The Israeli air force has unrestricted access to Lebanon’s airways due to Hezbollah’s limited air defenses. However, a ground operation will be significantly more difficult due to the fact that Hezbollah forces are well-versed in the local terrain and are embedded and concealed in local communities.
Nevertheless, the capabilities of Hezbollah remain uncertain. It is conceivable that Hezbollah is withholding resources in anticipation of a more significant conflict. However, the militant organization may also be in disarray as a result of Israeli intelligence’s apparent penetration of its uppermost echelons.
The withdrawal of diplomats and citizens from Lebanon by certain European countries commenced on Monday. In order to evacuate diplomats’ relatives and other individuals, Germany dispatched a military aircraft. The initial party of Bulgarian citizens was evacuated by a government aircraft.
Israel has a lengthy and bloody history in Lebanon. In 1978, it briefly invaded in an effort to combat Palestinian militants. In 1982, it invaded southern Lebanon once more, and the operation culminated in an 18-year occupation.
The risk of a broader, regional conflict may also be increased by the intensified campaign against Hezbollah, as Israel faces a succession of adversaries who are supported by its archenemy, Iran.
In response to a wave of missile strikes, Israel conducted an airstrike in Yemen against the Houthi militia. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, has also issued a warning to the Iranian government, informing them that Israel is capable of striking anywhere in the Middle East.
The United States and its allies, including France, which has close ties to Lebanon, have called for a cease-fire in order to prevent further escalation that could attract Iran and ignite a broader conflict. However, Netanyahu has demonstrated minimal interest in the matter, as his nation accumulates military victories against a long-standing adversary.
During his visit to Beirut on Monday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot exhorted Israel to forgo a ground offensive. He also urged Hezbollah to cease firing on Israel, asserting that the organization “bears heavy responsibility in the current situation, given its choice to enter the conflict.”
After meeting with Barrot, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati stated that the country is dedicated to the immediate cessation of hostilities, which will be followed by the deployment of Lebanese troops in the southern region. This commitment is consistent with a United Nations Security Council resolution that terminated the 2006 war but was never fully implemented.
Source : CNBC News
