Israel is planning a large-scale ground operation in Lebanon aimed at seizing the entire area south of the Litani River and dismantling the military infrastructure of Hezbollah, according to a report by Axios on Saturday citing Israeli and US officials.
The move could mark Israel’s largest ground incursion into Lebanon since the 2006 Lebanon War, the report said.
“We will do what we did in Gaza,” a senior Israeli official was quoted as saying, referring to the destruction of buildings that Israel says are used by Hezbollah to store weapons and carry out attacks.
Endless war
An operation of this scale could lead to a prolonged Israeli presence in southern Lebanon, a prospect that has raised serious concerns within the Lebanese government, which fears the next phase of the conflict could devastate the region.
According to the report, the administration of US President Donald Trump is said to support a major Israeli operation aimed at disarming Hezbollah. At the same time, Washington is reportedly urging Israel to limit damage to the Lebanese state and to move quickly towards direct talks between Israel and Lebanon on a post-war arrangement.
Sources cited by Axios said that until a few days ago Israel had sought to limit escalation in Lebanon in order to remain focused on Iran.
However, the situation changed on Wednesday when Hezbollah launched more than 200 rockets in a coordinated attack alongside Iran, which also fired dozens of missiles.
“Before this attack we were ready for a ceasefire in Lebanon, but after this there is no way back from a major operation,” a senior Israeli official said.