Israel’s military announced Monday it has launched a limited ground operation targeting positions of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The action, according to the army, aims to strengthen defensive front lines.
The escalation comes as Israel has resumed attacks in Lebanon following the start of the war with Iran, justifying the strikes as necessary to eliminate Hezbollah’s military capabilities. Lebanon has expressed a willingness to engage in direct talks with Jerusalem, but Israel stated Sunday that it does not plan to hold direct negotiations with Beirut in the coming days.
According to Pavel Macko, a former commander of the NATO Allied Training Command, a partial ground operation has been underway in southern Lebanon since March 4 and is now intensifying. “It can be said that it will expand significantly,” he warned. Israel has reportedly mobilized nearly 100,000 soldiers. “It wants to establish a stronger buffer zone and occupy territory previously controlled by UNIFIL forces and the Lebanese army.”
Prior to October 7, 2023, Hezbollah was considered a formidable force, estimated to have up to 50,000 professional fighters, along with additional militia members in Syria and Lebanon. They were equipped with small arms, rocket launchers and drones. Since then, Israel has “significantly reduced” the leadership of the terrorist organization, Macko said. He added that the current attack represents a calculated risk for the Jewish state to further diminish Hezbollah’s strength. “It wants to clear the entire southern territory and further expand the buffer zone,” the expert explained.
Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel on March 2, expressing solidarity with the Iranian regime, which has faced U.S. And Israeli strikes since February 28. The Lebanese government condemned Hezbollah’s decision to attack Israel on the same day.
The Jewish state responded to the shelling by Hezbollah with extensive retaliatory airstrikes in various parts of Lebanon. The Israeli army has too occupied additional territory in southern Lebanon, designating it as strategic for protection against Hezbollah attacks.
According to a tally from the Lebanese Ministry of Health, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have resulted in 850 deaths since March 2, including 107 children. The Associated Press reports that more than 850,000 people have been displaced from their homes in Lebanon.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced on Wednesday, March 11, that more than 1,100 children have been injured or killed since February 28, when the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran began and subsequently spread to other countries in the Middle East.
Israel has launched a ground operation in southern Lebanon targeting Hezbollah positions, marking a significant escalation in cross-border hostilities. The move comes amid a broader conflict involving Iran and raises concerns about a potential wider regional war.
Israel’s military announced Monday it has launched a limited ground operation targeting positions of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The action, according to the army, aims to strengthen defensive front lines.
The escalation comes as Israel has resumed attacks in Lebanon following the start of the war with Iran, justifying the strikes as necessary to eliminate Hezbollah’s military capabilities. Lebanon has expressed a willingness to engage in direct talks with Jerusalem, but Israel stated Sunday that it does not plan to hold direct negotiations with Beirut in the coming days.
According to Pavel Macko, a former commander of the NATO Allied Training Command, a partial ground operation has been underway in southern Lebanon since March 4 and is now intensifying. “It can be said that it will expand significantly,” he warned. Israel has reportedly mobilized nearly 100,000 soldiers. “It wants to establish a stronger buffer zone and occupy territory previously controlled by UNIFIL forces and the Lebanese army.”
Prior to October 7, 2023, Hezbollah was considered a formidable force, estimated to have up to 50,000 professional fighters, along with additional militia members in Syria and Lebanon. They were equipped with small arms, rocket launchers, and drones. Since then, Israel has “significantly reduced” the leadership of the terrorist organization, Macko said. He added that the current attack represents a calculated risk for the Jewish state to further diminish Hezbollah’s strength. “It wants to clear the entire southern territory and further expand the buffer zone,” the expert explained.
Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel on March 2, expressing solidarity with the Iranian regime, which has faced U.S. And Israeli strikes since February 28. The Lebanese government condemned Hezbollah’s decision to attack Israel on the same day.
The Jewish state responded to the shelling by Hezbollah with extensive retaliatory airstrikes in various parts of Lebanon. The Israeli army has also occupied additional territory in southern Lebanon, designating it as strategic for protection against Hezbollah attacks.
According to a tally from the Lebanese Ministry of Health, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have resulted in 850 deaths since March 2, including 107 children. The Associated Press reports that more than 850,000 people have been displaced from their homes in Lebanon.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced on Wednesday, March 11, that more than 1,100 children have been injured or killed since February 28, when the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran began and subsequently spread to other countries in the Middle East.
