Israel weighing biggest Lebanon ground invasion since 2006: report

Israel is preparing to expand its ground operation in Lebanon, potentially annexing the entire area south of the Litani River and targeting Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, according to a report by Axios citing Israeli and US officials.

If launched, the offensive could become Israel’s largest ground invasion of Lebanon since the 2006 war. The report says such an operation could draw Lebanon deeper into the escalating regional conflict involving Iran.

A senior Israeli official told Axios that the campaign would resemble Israel’s operations in Gaza, referring to the destruction of buildings that the Israeli military claims Hezbollah uses to store weapons and launch attacks.

In Israel’s attacks in Gaza, it routinely claimed Hamas used civilian infrastructure to carry out attacks while providing no evidence to back up the claim. It subsequently bombed these locations, resulting in the deaths of civilians, including children.

According to Axios, the scale of the operation could lead to a prolonged Israeli presence in southern Lebanon. Lebanese authorities have expressed alarm that the renewed conflict could further devastate the country.

The report says the administration of former US President Donald Trump supports a major Israeli operation aimed at disarming Hezbollah.

Axios reports that until recently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government had been trying to contain the escalation on the Lebanese front to focus on Iran. That position reportedly changed after Hezbollah launched more than 200 missiles in a coordinated attack alongside Iran, which fired dozens of its own.

Despite this claim by Netanyahu, Israel has been bombing Lebanon long before its recent escalation into South Lebanon, as Al Jazeera reports that on January 5, they launched strikes into Lebanon, saying they were targeting “Hezbollah and Hamas.”

“Before this attack, we were ready for a ceasefire in Lebanon, but after it, there is no way back from a massive operation,” a senior Israeli official claimed when speaking to Axios.

Israel had ordered Lebanese citizens to flee north of the Litani River, then bombed a “vital bridge” over the river, claiming Hezbollah was using it, as per the UK news site Independent.

Read: Israel orders evacuation of south Lebanon

According to the Axios report, the Israeli military has already positioned three armoured and infantry divisions along the Lebanese border, with forces carrying out incursions in recent weeks. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Friday it was sending additional reinforcements and mobilising reserves ahead of the invasion.

An Israeli official told Axios the objective would be to seize territory, push Hezbollah fighters away from the border and dismantle their military positions and weapons depots in villages across southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah’s leader, Naim Qassem, rejected the prospect of a diplomatic solution, saying efforts by the Lebanese government had failed to protect civilians or restore sovereignty.

“When the enemy threatens a ground invasion, we tell him: this is not a threat, but one of the traps you will fall into,” Qassem said, according to Axios. He added that any ground incursion would allow Hezbollah fighters to engage Israeli forces directly.

Axios reports that the Israeli military has issued evacuation orders across southern Lebanon and, for the first time, to communities north of the Litani River as well as to Hezbollah’s stronghold in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Around 800,000 Lebanese civilians have been displaced since the conflict began, and at least 773 people have been killed, many of them civilians, according to the report. The report also says US officials urged Israel not to strike Beirut’s international airport or other Lebanese state infrastructure during the planned operation.

Read more: Missiles hit US Embassy in Baghdad as Trump warns Iran of strikes on Kharg Island oil hub

Israeli officials told the outlet that while Israel agreed to avoid targeting the airport, it did not commit to protecting all other state infrastructure.

“We feel we have full US backing for this operation,” an Israeli official told Axios.

The report says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tasked former minister Ron Dermer with overseeing the Lebanon file during the conflict, including contacts with Washington and any future negotiations with Beirut.

On the US side, Axios says the issue is being handled by Trump adviser Massad Boulos, who has recently been in contact with Israeli, Lebanese and Arab officials in an effort to facilitate possible direct talks between Israel and Lebanon.

According to the report, Lebanese officials have indicated they are willing to begin ceasefire negotiations immediately and without preconditions.

Axios says Washington hopes such talks could eventually lead to a broader agreement formally ending the state of war between Israel and Lebanon.