Gallant hints Israel preparing to launch ground offensive in Lebanon
Speaking with soldiers deployed near the border with Lebanon, Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant hinted that a ground invasion could take place soon.
Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant strongly hinted Monday that Israel is preparing to launch a ground operation against the Hezbollah militant group in the south of Lebanon, as the conflict between the two sides continued to escalate.
The conflict reached boiling point on Friday, when Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on command headquarters in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut.
Addressing the 188th Armored Brigade and Golani Infantry Brigade deployed in the north of Israel, Gallant said, “The elimination of Nasrallah is a very important step, but it is not everything. We will use all the capabilities we have."
“If someone on the other side does not understand what these capabilities mean, it is all capabilities and you are part of this effort. We trust you to be able to accomplish anything," Galland continued.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Monday that small Israeli army units have been entering into Lebanese territory in recent days to gather information and prepare a possible ground invasion, including entering into tunnels Hezbollah had dug near the border.
Israel's Defense Ministry said Monday it was advancing with its project of installing extra protection around villages and kibbutzim near the border with Lebanon. The ministry said that 746 public shelters were renovated and prepared to be used if necessary.
Hezbollah started firing rockets and missiles against Israel on Oct. 8, a day after the Hamas attack on southern Israel that killed nearly 1,200 people. Israel retaliated but exchanges of fire intensified in recent weeks. In July, Israel struck and killed Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr. Last week, pagers and walkie-talkies held by militants of Hezbollah exploded, in an attack widely attributed to Israel, killing at least 13 people, including some children, and injuring around 4,000 people.
In contrast, Israel took responsibility for Nasrallah's killing on Friday. Shortly after, the Israeli military said it was mobilizing two reserve brigades to be deployed near the border. French television channels published Sunday pictures of dozens of Israel's Merkava tanks posted near the border with Lebanon, in what looks like preparation for a ground offensive.
