Israeli forces have begun localized ground operations in southern Lebanon, the latest development in their conflict with Hezbollah, which could engulf the region.
Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari acknowledged on Tuesday for the first time that Israel has carried out “dozens of targeted operations near the border” in southern Lebanon over the course of the conflict, which has gone on for nearly a year.
Israel has escalated its war against Hezbollah this month as a way to try and end Hezbollah’s attacks for good. They have carried out significant numbers of strikes in southern Lebanon and into the capital of Beirut. Israel’s military has effectively wiped out Hezbollah’s senior leadership over the last couple of weeks, but Hezbollah has been able to launch counterattacks into Israel.
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The IDF called up four additional reserve brigades for operational missions in the north, the military announced on Tuesday. It also reported that roughly 15 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israel. Some of the projectiles landed in open areas in the north, and firefighters had to work to put out a fire that broke out.
Israel’s escalation this month has resulted in the deaths of at least a thousand people, according to CBS News, and the displacement of as many as a million Lebanese civilians from the south, the country’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati said.
“Our soldiers entered Hezbollah’s underground infrastructure; exposed Hezbollah’s hidden weapons caches and seized and destroyed the weapons including advanced, Iranian-made weapons,” he added. “Overall, IDF soldiers exposed and dismantled over 700 Hezbollah terror assets during these operations, and there’s a lot more work to do.”
What prompted Israel’s ground operations?
Hezbollah and Israel have been enemies dating back several decades. But the current conflict began last October.
On Oct. 7, 2023, thousands of fighters affiliated with Hamas (a Gaza-based, Iran-backed, U.S.-designated terrorist group) overpowered the border fence and proceeded to kill roughly 1,200 people and kidnap roughly 250 others in what ultimately began the deadliest terrorist attack in the country’s history. A day later, Hezbollah began firing rockets and missiles into northern Israel to divert the Israeli military’s attention in solidarity with Hamas.
Israel evacuated about 60,000 people from northern Israel due to concerns that Hezbollah could carry out a similar cross-border raid targeting civilians in the communities along the shared border. Those Israeli civilians remain displaced from their homes nearly a year later, and Israeli officials say the operations against Hezbollah are meant to stop Hezbollah’s attacks so that those families can return to their homes.
Several world leaders have called on Israel and Hezbollah to abide by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which was the resolution that halted the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. The document specifically called on Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon, which they did, and for Hezbollah to move north of the Litani River, which would, in effect, create a nearly 20-mile buffer zone between the Lebanese-Israeli border and Hezbollah’s position. Hezbollah has not abided by the conditions.
The resolution also stipulates that only the Lebanese government can hold positions south of the Litani River.
“For years, Israel has warned the world that Hezbollah is violating international law and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which prohibits the presence of armed militants and weapons in southern Lebanon. This was a resolution that the international community agreed on and Lebanon and UNIFIL failed to enforce,” Hagari added. “No country would agree to the presence of a murderous terrorist organization along its borders, and the State of Israel has the right and the obligation to do what 1701 failed to do.”
Will there be an Iranian response?
Iran has supported, funded, and trained militants in various U.S.-designated terrorist groups for decades so that they could carry out Tehran’s desired attacks on Israel. Those groups include Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen, all of which have been attacking U.S. forces in the region or Israel over the last year.
Israel and Iran specifically mostly engage in a shadow war often carried out through targeted assassinations and espionage rather than on the battlefield. But Iran conducted an unprecedented aerial attack on Israel last April, which Israel (with the help of allies) was able to thwart almost entirely.
The assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last week has led to concerns that Iran could carry out another direct attack on Israel.
“The United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel. We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack. A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran,” a senior White House official told the Washington Examiner.
Where does the U.S. stand?
The Biden administration has repeatedly said it stands by Israel’s right to defend itself from the regional threats it faces on its borders, though it has also pushed for a diplomatic resolution to the crises that have largely fallen on deaf ears from all parties.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has spoken with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, several times this month — often multiple times a week.
In their latest call, which occurred on Monday, the two leaders “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,” according to a readout from Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder.
Ryder noted that Austin “reaffirmed that a diplomatic resolution is required to ensure that civilians can return safely to their homes on both sides of the border. He and Minister Gallant discussed the importance of ultimately pivoting from military operations to a diplomatic pathway to provide security and stability as soon as feasible.”
The Pentagon has significantly increased its presence in the Middle East in recent weeks due to the escalating tension.
Austin directed the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to remain in the Middle East, and the USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group / Marine Expeditionary Unit will continue its operations in the eastern Mediterranean, while the military’s fighter and squadron presences will expand as well including F-22, F-15E, F-16, and A-10 aircraft.
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In total, the U.S. will have an “additional few thousand” troops in the Middle East. Those troops are in the region to deter aggression from Israel’s adversaries, and they could help protect Israel in the event of a major attack similar to the one from Iran last April.
The troops could also be called on to help evacuate Americans from Lebanon if the war escalates further. The U.S. State Department has urged Americans in Lebanon to leave via commercial options before the situation could further deteriorate.
