The Israeli occupation is preparing for a large ground operation in southern Lebanon aimed at taking control of the entire area south of the Litani River, in what could represent the largest ground invasion since the 2006 war.
The Axios website quoted American and Israeli officials as saying that the objective of the anticipated operation is to control the entire region south of the Litani River and dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure.
The website cited a senior Israeli official who said: “We will do what we did in Gaza,” referring to the leveling of buildings which the occupation claims Hezbollah uses to store weapons and carry out attacks. Officials indicated that an operation of this scale could become the largest Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon since 2006, potentially dragging Lebanon into the centre of the escalating war with Iran.
On Friday, the occupation army targeted the Tayr Falsayh Bridge that stretches over the Litani River in southern Lebanon, separating the southern part of the river from the north. It also ordered a “large scale” reinforcement of forces in the northern region.
In 2006, a 33 day war broke out between the Israeli occupation and Hezbollah after the group captured two Israeli soldiers near the border. The war ended with a ceasefire under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which called for the cessation of hostilities and the deployment of the Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) south of the Litani River.
For its part, the Lebanese government expressed concern over the consequences of the military escalation, warning that a renewed war could cause widespread destruction in the country, according to the report.
On Friday, Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem said in a recorded speech that the movement had prepared itself for a prolonged confrontation with the Israeli occupation, considering that diplomatic solutions have failed to stop Israeli attacks. He added that “there is no solution except resistance, otherwise Lebanon will head towards disappearance.”
At the beginning of this month, the Israeli occupation expanded its aggression against Lebanon after it began, together with the United States on 28 February, a continuous military campaign against Iran that has left hundreds dead, including the leader Ali Khamenei.
