Israel has informed the US that it is planning a limited-scale ground operation in Lebanon that can begin immediately, a US official told The Washington Post.
Israel’s planned operation will be smaller in scale than Israel’s last war against Hezbollah in 2006, he stressed.
The operation will focus on clearing military infrastructure along the border to eliminate the threat to Israeli border communities, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barro has again called on Israel not to launch a ground invasion of Lebanon, saying Paris will step up its support for the Lebanese army.
“I urge Israel to refrain from any ground invasion and to cease fire. I call on Hezbollah to do the same and not take any action that could lead to regional destabilization,” Baro told reporters during his visit to Lebanon.
Earlier today, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati called for a truce with Israel, following talks he had with the French foreign minister, in the first visit of a high-ranking Western diplomat to Beirut since the intensification of Israeli strikes against Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Yoav Gallad said in a discussion with mayors of areas on Israel’s northern border that “the next stage of the war against Hezbollah will begin soon – it will be an important factor in changing the security situation and will allow us to complete the important part of the war’s objectives: the return of the inhabitants to their homes.’
Blinken: The world is ‘safer’ thanks to Nasrallah’s death
Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader killed in an Israeli strike on Friday, was a “barbaric terrorist” and the world is “safer without him,” US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said today, noting that he would continue to work for a diplomatic solution in Lebanon.
“Diplomacy remains the best and only path to greater stability in the Middle East, and the United States remains committed to advancing these efforts in the form of an urgent” diplomatic solution to Lebanon and a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, emphasized the American minister.
Israel’s special forces operate in southern Lebanon, search for Hezbollah tunnels
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have launched small-scale operations in southern Lebanon, including infiltrations into tunnels used by Hezbollah, ahead of a possible ground operation in the area, according to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report citing unnamed sources.
These operations, by special forces of the Israeli army, are said to be aimed at gathering information and preparing the ground for a possible larger attack that could begin even within the week.
Threats against Iran by Israel
Anthony Blinken’s statement comes on a day when Benjamin Netanyahu directly threatened Iran, saying: “When Iran finally breaks free – and that moment will come much sooner than people think – everything will be different.” .
Earlier, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallad had hinted that the IDF was preparing for a ground intervention in Lebanon.
Gallant met with armored forces soldiers on Israel’s northern border on Monday, saying that in order for Israeli citizens to return to their homes in the north, “we will use all our capabilities – including you.”
According to Gallant, returning civilians to their homes is “the mission of the IDF and that’s what we’re going to do and we’re going to deploy whatever it takes – you, other forces, from the air, from the sea and from the land.”
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant hints that Israel is preparing to launch a ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
«The elimination of [Hezbollah terror chief Hassan] Nasrallah is a very important step, but it is not everything. We will use all the capabilities we have,»… pic.twitter.com/seqiw5jPlz
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) September 30, 2024
The latest statements from Iran, Hezbollah and Lebanon
Iran, for its part, has announced that it will not send troops to Lebanon, although it will respond if its territorial integrity is threatened.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said Tehran will not send forces to Lebanon, according to an AFP report.
Kanani was quoted as saying that Lebanon and the Palestinians “have the ability and strength to defend themselves against attack.”
“Hezbollah maintains its military capabilities,” said the Lebanese group’s deputy leader, Naim Kassem, “despite the explosion of sirens and the killing of its leader,” in his first speech The world is safer after the death of the “barbaric terrorist.” Hassan Nasrallah after the Nasrallah assassination.
The organization’s deputy leader said Hezbollah will continue the fight in solidarity with Palestine and in defense of Lebanon despite “Israel’s massacres.”
“We will continue on the path of Hassan Nasrallah,” Kassem said, stressing that they are prepared for Israel’s announced ground invasion.
“Lebanon wants a ceasefire,” said the country’s prime minister, Najib Mikati, and said Beirut was ready to deploy troops to the border with Israel to implement the 2007 UN resolution.
The resolution, unanimously adopted at the end of the Second Lebanon War in 2007, aimed to end the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and authorized a combined UN peacekeeping force and the Lebanese army to ensure that southern Lebanon would remain a demilitarized zone.
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