BEIRUT: The Israeli military said Tuesday that its ground troops had carried out raids in south Lebanon and mobilized more forces, despite calls for de-escalation after a week of air strikes that killed hundreds including Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.
The military actions come despite widespread calls for de-escalation from international leaders. The scope of the Israeli offensive was not immediately clear, with the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon saying it did not amount to a “ground incursion”.
Hezbollah has denied any Israeli troops crossing into Lebanese territory, although Israeli officials described the actions as “localized and targeted.”
Meanwhile, a senior White House official warned that “the United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel.” Despite this, the Israeli military reported it had not detected any aerial threats from Iran at this time but remains prepared to “defend and attack.”
Israeli forces have stated that their operations in Lebanon include air strikes and shelling, with reports of strikes targeting areas in southern Beirut, Damascus, and Gaza. “We fear a large-scale ground invasion by Israel into Lebanon would only result in greater suffering,” said Liz Throssell, spokeswoman for the UN human rights office.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that the conflict is far from over, particularly following the significant blow to Hezbollah with the assassination of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, last week.
The Israeli military is focused on dismantling Hezbollah’s military capabilities and has called up four additional brigades to the border to facilitate ongoing operations.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah announced its readiness for land incursions and targeted an Israeli military intelligence base near Tel Aviv. Hezbollah’s responses included projectiles fired from Lebanon into northern Israeli towns.
US President Joe Biden urged for a ceasefire and opposed Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon. “We should have a ceasefire now,” Biden stated.
China and Russia have called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, with China opposing “infringements on Lebanon’s sovereignty.” Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged the international community to act against Israel’s military actions.
