It follows Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant’s remarks that the ‘next phase of war’ against Hezbollah will ‘begin soon’, signalling that Israel could be preparing for a ground offensive in Lebanon.
ADVERTISEMENTIsrael has launched small ground raids against Iran-backed Hezbollah and declared three of its northern communities a “closed military zone” — further signalling that it could be prepared to send forces into Lebanon.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Israel informed the US about the raids which he described as “limited operations focused on Hezbollah infrastructure near the border.”
Although there were no reports of direct clashes between Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops, a Western official commented that an Israeli ground operation in Lebanon is “imminent.”
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Israel had shared its plans with the US and that the operation would be “limited.”
On Monday Hezbollah vowed it was prepared to fighting even after much of its top command including long-time leader Hassan Nasrallah, were killed in Israeli airstrikes.
Israeli strikes have killed Nasrallah and six of his top commanders and officials in the last 10 days, and have hit what the military says are thousands of militant targets across large parts of Lebanon.
Acting leader Naim Kassem said in a televised statement that if Israel decides to launch a ground offensive, the group’s fighters are ready.
“Israel was not able to affect our (military) capabilities,” Kassem said, adding that each commander killed had a replacement.
He said that the militant group, which fought Israel to a stalemate in their monthlong war in 2006, anticipated “the battle could be long.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning to Iran, saying “there is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach,” if Tehran decides to retaliate against the death of Nasrallah with a strike on Tel Aviv.
Over 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon by Israeli fire in the past two weeks, nearly a quarter of them women and children, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
Meanwhile, the United Nations says at least 100,000 people have fled Lebanon for Syria since the strikes began, with more than 5,000 finding shelter in a suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus.