Israeli raids against Hezbollah signal broader ground incursion into Lebanon could soon take place

BEIRUT — The Israeli military launched small ground raids against Hezbollah on Monday and cordoned off communities along its northern border, as Israeli artillery pounded southern Lebanon and signals grew that more forces could soon to be sent across the border to fight Iranian-backed militants.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Israel had informed the United States of the raids, which he said were described as “limited operations focused on Hezbollah infrastructure near the border.” .

No direct clashes have been reported between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants, whose last ground fighting on Lebanese soil lasted a month in 2006.

But a Western diplomat in Cairo, whose country is directly involved in de-escalation efforts, said an Israeli ground operation in Lebanon was “imminent.” The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said Israel had shared its plans with the United States and other Western allies, and indicated that the operation would be “limited”.

Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire almost daily since the start of the Gaza war, displacing tens of thousands of people in Israel and Lebanon. Israel says it will continue to strike Hezbollah until families can return safely to their homes near the Lebanese border. Hezbollah has vowed to continue firing rockets into Israel until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.

It was unclear whether Israel had made a final decision regarding a broader ground operation in Lebanon. Israel’s Army Radio station said a Cabinet meeting concluded Monday evening, with Netanyahu continuing to consult with security officials.

Hezbollah vowed Monday to continue the fight even after its longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and other senior officials were recently wiped out by Israeli strikes.

The group’s acting leader, Naim Kassem, said in a televised statement that if Israel decides to launch a ground offensive, Hezbollah is ready. He said commanders killed in recent weeks had already been replaced.

The man expected to succeed Kassem in the top job is Hashem Safieddine, a cousin of Nasrallah who oversees Hezbollah’s political affairs.

The Israeli order restricting entry and exit from the northern communities of Metula, Misgav Am and Kfar Giladi does not necessarily mean that Israeli troops will immediately invade Lebanon. Areas can also be declared closed military zones if an imminent threat is detected.

But the army has significantly strengthened its forces along the border in recent days, and commanders have said they are ready to enter Lebanon if ordered.

Chris Coyle, a resident of northern Israel, said the army had erected gates and checkpoints throughout the region and positioned dozens of tanks along the border in recent days. “They’re definitely getting ready to go in,” he said.

In the nearby Golan Heights, an Associated Press reporter heard Israeli artillery fire and explosions in southern Lebanon. Israeli forces also fired flares into Lebanon.

An AP reporter in the southern Lebanese town of Marjayoun reported sounds of intense shelling, explosions and occasional airstrikes coming from areas closer to the border.

Israeli strikes in recent weeks have hit what the military says are thousands of militant targets across large parts of Lebanon. More than 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon over the past two weeks, nearly a quarter of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry.

Early Monday, an airstrike hit a residential building in central Beirut, killing three Palestinian militants, as Israel appeared to send the message that no part of Lebanon is beyond its reach.

Hezbollah’s capabilities remain uncertain after series of blows

Hezbollah has significantly increased its rocket attacks over the past week, reaching several hundred per day, but most have been intercepted or fallen in open areas. Several people were injured in Israel. There have been no deaths since two soldiers were killed near the border on September 19.

But Hezbollah’s capabilities remain unclear.

Just two weeks ago, a strike like Monday’s in central Beirut – outside the main areas where Hezbollah operates and near a busy transportation hub normally filled with buses and taxis – would have was considered a major escalation and likely followed by a long-range Hezbollah strike on Israel.

But the unwritten rules of this long-standing conflict no longer appear to be in force.

It is possible that Hezbollah is holding back to save resources for a larger battle. But the militant group could also be in disarray after Israeli intelligence apparently penetrated its highest levels.

Some European countries began withdrawing their diplomats and citizens from Lebanon on Monday. Germany sent a military plane to evacuate the diplomats’ relatives and others. Bulgaria sent a government plane to bring out the first group of its citizens.

Monday’s strike in Beirut killed three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a small left-wing faction that has not been significantly involved in the months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack but is widely believed to have carried it out.

Also on Monday, Hamas announced that its top commander in Lebanon, Fatah Sharif, had been killed along with his family in an airstrike on the Al-Buss refugee camp in the southern port city of Tyre. of the country. The Israeli army confirmed that it had targeted him.

Hezbollah began firing rockets, drones and missiles into northern Israel after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack from Gaza into Israel sparked war in the Palestinian territory.

Israel responded to the rockets with airstrikes in Lebanon, and fighting has continued to intensify over the past year. The Lebanese government says the fighting may have displaced up to a million people, although the UN estimates the number at around 200,000.

Israel shows little interest in ceasefire calls as it bloodies longtime enemy

The United States and its allies have called for a ceasefire, hoping to avoid further escalation that could draw in Iran and trigger a wider war. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shown little interest as his country racks up military successes against a longtime enemy.

France, which has close ties with Lebanon, joined the United States in calling for a ceasefire. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, visiting Beirut on Monday, urged Israel to refrain from any ground offensive.

Barrot also called on Hezbollah to stop shooting at Israel, saying the group “bears a heavy responsibility for the current situation, given its choice to enter the conflict.”

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, speaking after his meeting with Barrot, said his country was committed to an immediate ceasefire followed by the deployment of Lebanese troops in the south, in line with a UN Security Council resolution. the UN that ended the 2006 war but was never adopted. fully implemented.

Hezbollah, which has tens of thousands of battle-hardened fighters and long-range missiles capable of striking anywhere in Israel, has long been considered the region’s most powerful militant group and a key partner of Iran to threaten and deter Israel.

But Hezbollah has never faced an attack like this, which began with a sophisticated attack on its pagers and walkie-talkies in mid-September that killed dozens and injured about 3 000 – including many combatants but also many civilians.

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Melzer reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue and Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut; Sam McNeil in Majdal Shams, Golan Heights; Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Geir Moulson in Berlin; and Veselin Toshkov in Sofia, Bulgaria, contributed reporting.