On Tuesday morning, the Israeli military confirmed that its troops have started ground raids in southern Lebanon. The IDF, Israeli Defence Forces will be conducting specialized targeting of Hezbollah assets in the country. Israel have been pounding Hezbollah infrastructure for the past few weeks, and the recent pager attacks as well as the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah look to be the precursor to a ground offensive by the Israeli forces.
Posting on X, the IDF elaborated about the ground operations being conducted in Lebanon “In accordance with the decision of the political echelon, a few hours ago, the IDF began limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon. These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.”
They also confirmed that the operations will continue until IDF achieves its objectives and is able to guarantee the safety of their citizens, “The IDF is operating according to a methodical plan set out by the General Staff and the Northern Command which IDF soldiers have trained and prepared for in recent months. The Israeli Air Force and IDF Artillery are supporting the ground forces with precise strikes on military targets in the area.”
“These operations were approved and carried out in accordance with the decision of the political echelon. Operation “Northern Arrows” will continue according to the situational assessment and in parallel to combat in Gaza and in other arenas. The IDF is continuing to operate to achieve the goals of the war and is doing everything necessary to defend the citizens of Israel and return the citizens of northern Israel to their homes.” the statement read.
The Israel-Hezbollah conflict
Israel and Hezbollah have been in an open confrontation for some time now. Since the devastating October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas, Israel has proceeded to militarily counter all opposing forces in the region. Hezbollah a Lebanese Shia Islamist paramilitary group gave its backing to Hamas, as it has a long standing feud with Israel in the region.
Since then Israel has targeted leaders of both outfits and assassinated a number of their operative heads. Hasan Nasrallah the head of Hezbollah was taken out in air raid just a few days back. Speaking at the United Nations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that anyone who strikes Israel will be struck back, giving a warning to not only Hamas and Hezbollah but also Iran, which he branded as a “curse” in the region.
Prior to the raids, Israeli forces had issued evacuation warnings to Lebanese residents in Haret Hreik, Mreijeh, and Laylaki, urging them to leave the areas immediately. IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari in a statement said, “Hezbollah had prepared to use those villages — as staging grounds for an October 7-style invasion into Israeli homes. Hezbollah planned to invade Israel, attack Israeli communities, and massacre innocent men women and children.”
US backs Israel’s actions
Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday offered support to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for dismantling attack infrastructure along the border with Lebanon. Austin also went on to hand a warning to Iran of “serious consequences” if it directly attacked Israel in response to their attacks on Hezbollah.
In a post on X Austin reiterated the US’ stand and its backing of Israel, “I made it clear that the United States supports Israel’s right to defend itself. We agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hezbollah cannot conduct October 7-style attacks on Israel’s northern communities. I reaffirmed that a diplomatic resolution is required to ensure that civilians can return safely to their homes on both sides of the border and made clear that the United States is well-postured to defend U.S. personnel, partners, and allies in the face of threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organizations and determined to prevent any actor from exploiting tensions or expanding the conflict.”
Hezbollah and Hamas are now in the crosshairs of the IDF. As the confrontation takes a more serious and direct turn, the clashes threaten to drag in a number of other international players as well. The middle east region continues to burn and the conflict may even lead to a major clash between Israel and Iran in the future.