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By Tom O'Connor
Deputy Editor, National Security and Foreign Policy
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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have announced the beginning of a ground offensive into Lebanon to battle Hezbollah after nearly a year of worsening cross-border violence linked to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
"In accordance with the decision of the political echelon, a few hours ago, the IDF began limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon," the IDF said in a statement Monday. "These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel."
The IDF said it was operating according to a "methodical plan" drawn up by the General Staff and the Northern Command, and that troops had been trained for the cross-border operation for months. The operation was said to be supported by IDF air and artillery strikes.
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"The IDF is continuing to operate to achieve the goals of the war and is doing everything necessary to defend the citizens of Israel and return the citizens of northern Israel to their homes," the IDF said.
The offensive comes just days after massive Israeli airstrikes killed longtime Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut's Dahiye southern suburb, sparking another major blow to the Iran-aligned group that has fired rockets, missiles and drones against Israel since the Palestinian Hamas movement launched a massive surprise attack against Israel from Gaza.
Hezbollah, for its part, has continued to claim new strikes against northern Israel. Throughout Monday, the group announced at least a dozen separate operations "in support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their valiant and honorable resistance, and in defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the barbaric Israeli invasion of cities, villages and civilians."
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Also on Monday, Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem gave his first speech since Nasrallah's death, asserting that Israel has not been able to compromise the group's core military capabilities. He recalled the experience of the last war fought between the two sides in July 2006, a month-long conflict that ended with a U.N.-backed truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
"We will confront any possibility, and we are ready if the Israelis decide to enter by land," Qassem said. "The resistance forces are ready for a ground engagement. We have prepared and are ready, and, with trust in God, we are confident that the Israeli enemy will not achieves its goals, and we will emerge victorious from this battle."
Both Israel and Hezbollah have long accused one another of violating the terms of the U.N. resolution that put an end to their last war by operating near or beyond the U.N. peacekeeper-patrolled Blue Line. Intensified clashes over the past year have forced more than 67,000 Israelis from their homes in northern communities, according to Israeli officials, while more than 1 million have been displaced in Lebanon as a result of Israeli strikes across Lebanon and the threat of invasion, according to the World Health Organization.
Newsweek has reached out to Hezbollah, the Iranian Mission to the U.N, a representative of the Lebanese government and the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for comment.
Units involved in the Israeli offensive include those attached to the 98th Division, such as the Paratroopers Brigade, the Commando Brigade and the 7th Brigade, according to the IDF. The 98th Division was redeployed from Gaza to the northern border earlier this month.
"After many months of operating in the Gaza Strip, where the soldiers of the division gained skills and operational experience," the IDF said in a statement, "they moved north and are now operating in the northern arena after making the necessary adjustments for fighting in Lebanon.
Other groups that have joined the fight against Israel as part of the broader Iran-led Axis of Resistance include the Islamic Resistance in Iraq coalition and Yemen's Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthi movement, both of which have stepped up strikes against Israel in recent weeks as well. Shortly after announcing the incursion into Lebanese territory on Monday, the IDF reported on the interception of a drone over the Mediterranean Sea.
In Syria, blasts attributed to Israeli airstrikes were reported in Damascus, while news circulated online of rocket attacks tied to Iraqi militias targeting a U.S. military position near Baghdad International Airport.
Iran has also repeatedly warned Israel against launching a ground operation in Lebanon. The Islamic Republic has also openly threatened its archfoe with retaliation over a series of covert operations tied to Israel, including the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July and a wave of blasts that rocked communication devices that primarily targeted Hezbollah members in Lebanon and Syria earlier this month, also wounding and killing a number of civilians, as well as Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, who was hospitalized with injuries.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani told reporters during a press briefing Monday that he had "no doubt that the resistance front and the Lebanese nation will celebrate the death of Zionism and liberation of holy al-Quds in the near future," using the Arabic and Persian-language name for the disputed city of Jerusalem.
That same day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a direct warning to Iranian leadership, warning that "there is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach" and arguing that Iran's people would be "free" at a time "that will come a lot sooner than people think" in a video address.
The United States has continued to provide military aid to Israel throughout the conflict, while at the same time pushing for a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that the White House has argued would also de-escalate tensions at the Israel-Lebanon border.
In light of recent escalations, the Pentagon announced earlier Monday that it would be sending thousands of additional U.S. troops to the region, along with fighter jet squadrons and other equipment to boost security and support Israel's defense. The announcement came a day after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the extension of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and linked squadrons to the region.
Responding to a reporters' question on Monday about whether he was worried about or comfortable with Israel launching a ground operation into Lebanon, U.S. President Joe Biden said, "I'm more worried than you might know and I'm comfortable with them stopping."
"We should have a ceasefire now," he added.
This is a developing story and will be updated with additional information.
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