Israeli military prepares for ground operation in Lebanon

Israeli armed forces may begin a ground operation in Lebanon as early as this week, in preparation for which Israeli special forces have repeatedly invaded Lebanon, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources.

Israeli special forces are conducting small, limited-purpose raids into southern Lebanon, gathering intelligence and probing enemy defenses ahead of a major ground offensive that could take place this week, the sources said.

The special forces also infiltrated Hezbollah tunnels on the Israel-Lebanon border, part of the Israeli army's efforts to weaken the Islamic group's position in the border area.

“The sources indicated that the timing of the ground operation could change. The U.S. is putting intense pressure on Israel to dissuade it from launching a military incursion,” the newspaper said.

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It is also unclear how long Israeli forces intend to hold the occupied territory in Lebanon and whether the operation will only involve large-scale cross-border raids.

The situation in the Middle East remains tense. Since the beginning of last week, Israel has carried out massive airstrikes in southern Lebanon, destroying Hezbollah infrastructure.

On Friday, the Israeli Air Force carried out a powerful airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, where Hezbollah is headquartered. The attack killed its leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Israeli operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon continue, and the killing of the movement's leader Hassan Nasrallah was not the “final step,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Monday, September 30.

“The elimination of Nasrallah is “This is an important step, but it will not be the last. We will use all our capabilities to ensure the return of communities in northern Israel,” Gallant told soldiers stationed on Israel's northern border.

Prepared by Nina Petrovich