A possible ground operation by the Israeli army against the Lebanese Islamic movement Hezbollah will be as “short” as possible, a high-ranking source in the Israeli security forces said today.
“We will try to be as short as possible,” the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
“We prepare for this every day,” he added.
According to the official, the Israeli attacks in Lebanon, which have intensified since the beginning of the week, have caused many deaths in the ranks of Hezbollah and greatly reduced the military capabilities of the Iranian-backed movement.
Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel on October 8, saying it was doing so in solidarity with its ally, the Palestinian group Hamas, which is fighting Israel after an unprecedented attack launched on October 7 on Israeli soil from the Gaza Strip. .
Netanyahu to Iran: If you hit us, we will hit you – Strikes during his UN speech
Objective of eliminating the military leaders of the Shiite movement
“In addition to harming Hezbollah’s ability to fire on Israel, the Israeli security official added, the aim of the military operations launched by Israel from the air is to eliminate the Shiite movement’s military leaders and ‘clear’ the border areas. in northern Israel so that displaced residents can return to their homes.”
Following statements made yesterday, Wednesday, by the Chief of the Israeli General Staff, General Herzi Halevi, who spoke to the soldiers about the possibility of “entering Lebanon” to “continue to target Hezbollah”, the security official said today that “all options are on the table”.
On Monday, Israeli warplanes began daily bombing of Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon, leading tothe exodus of approximately 118 thousand people, according to the United Nations.
Currently, at least 700 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
The Israeli security officer denied accusations that Israeli strikes killed large numbers of civilians: “It’s not like they publish the names of the dead. Many of them were Hezbollah members,” he said, accusing Hezbollah of using civilians as human shields.
Source: AMPE