IDF confirms ground operation underway in Lebanon

The Israeli army spokesman’s unit confirmed that Israeli ground forces began limited and focused operations against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel. The Israeli army statement said that the forces were working according to an organized plan drawn up by the Northern Command and the General Staff, and that they had trained for it in the past few months. It also said that ground forces, supported by air forces and artillery, were attacking military targets in the region.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke with his American counterpart, Lloyd Austin, during the night. The Pentagon said in Washington that the two sides agreed on the need to dismantle Hezbollah’s offensive infrastructure along the border to ensure that the terrorist organization is unable to carry out attacks on Israeli border settlements, as Hamas did in the south on October 7. last year. Austin reiterated that there is a need for a diplomatic solution that enables civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes safely.

The commander of the IDF’s Egoz commando unit also confirmed that it had carried out secret commando operations across the Lebanese border in the past few months. “We started with low-footprint operations, and now we are entering into a larger ground operation to return the people of the north to their homes safely. This is an important development. We have not conducted any operations on the ground in Lebanon since 2006. I trust you,” the commander said in a letter to the troops. “I am proud of you, and I am proud to lead this unit.”

Published by Globes, Israel Business News – en.globes.co.il – on October 1, 2024.

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