Israel Launches Ground Invasion of Lebanon

Jerusalem, 1 October, 2024 (TPS) -- Israel launched a widely-anticipated ground operation in Lebanon against Hezbollah, the army confirmed in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The Israel Defense Forces said it began what it described as a “targeted and limited” incursion targeting the Iran-backed terror group’s infrastructure and assets in several villages near the Israeli border.

Analysts recently described to The Press Service of Israel two scenarios that could play out: a limited invasion taking Israeli soldiers up to the Litani, and a wider invasion reaching Beirut to further incapacitate Hezbollah. Most of the analysts agreed that it would take anywhere from three weeks to three months for Israel to create a security zone in Lebanon to enable northern residents to return home.

After the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, the Iran-backed Hezbollah began firing rockets and launching drones at northern Israel communities, killing 49 people. According to figures released by the government on Sept. 29, more than 68,000 residents of northern Israel are displaced from their homes. Hezbollah leaders have repeatedly said they would continue the attacks to prevent Israelis from returning to their homes.

Israel’s war goals include securely returning northern residents to their homes.

Israeli officials demand Hezbollah to be disarmed and removed from southern Lebanon in compliance with UN Security Council resolution 1701 which ended the Second Lebanon War of 2006. This includes all areas south of the Litani River such as the cities of Nabatieh and Tyre, as well as the Beqaa Valley in eastern Lebanon.

The crisis escalated on Sept. 17 when thousands of pagers belonging to Hezbollah operatives blew up. The following day, the terror group’s walkie-talkies and other devices exploded, killing at least 37 people and injuring an estimated 3,000. Israel never formally claimed responsibility for the sabotage. On Sept. 19, Israel escalated its airstrikes on Hezbollah assets.

With their communications in disarray, Hezbollah commanders gathered to plan their response, enabling Israel to eliminate numerous senior figures. One notable airstrike in Beirut on Sept. 21 wiped out nearly the entire chain of command of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force as they discussed carrying out a plan to invade the Galilee.

On Sept. 27, Israel assassinated Hassan Nasrallah along with another 20 senior Hezbollah figures in a bunker in Beirut’s Dahieh district, a Shi’ite and Hezbollah stronghold.