By: Chaima Chihi & euronews
Published in
The American website “Axios” reported that Israel is preparing to expand its ground operation in Lebanon, with the aim of “controlling the entire region south of the Litani River and dismantling Hezbollah’s military infrastructure,” according to statements by Israeli and American officials.
Announcement
Announcement
The largest ground operation since 2006
It is estimated that this operation may be the largest Israeli ground invasion of its northern neighbor since 2006. A senior Israeli official explained to the American website: “We will do what we did in Gaza,” referring to the destruction of buildings that Israel says Hezbollah uses to store weapons and launch attacks.
The Israeli Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, had previously stated that the southern suburb of Beirut would turn into a scene resembling “Khan Yunis” in the Gaza Strip.
An operation of this scale could lead to a long-term occupation of southern Lebanon, according to Axios, at a time when the Lebanese government fears that the renewed war, sparked by Hezbollah’s launching of missiles into Israel, could destroy infrastructure and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the country.
In this context, the Israeli army issued evacuation orders in southern Lebanon, for the first time for villages north of the Litani River, including Hezbollah strongholds in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Since the beginning of the latest escalation, about 800,000 Lebanese civilians have been displaced, while at least 773 people have been killed, most of them civilians.
American green light
The administration of US President Donald Trump supports the Israeli process to dismantle Hezbollah’s capabilities, but also seeks to limit damage to the Lebanese state, and encourages direct talks between Israel and Lebanon on a post-war agreement.
The newspaper “Israel Hayom” reported that Trump gave his approval for the limited ground operation that Israel began implementing last week, and also agreed to the possibility of significantly expanding the scope of the operation if necessary.
According to previous agreements, Hezbollah was scheduled to disarm on January 1, 2026, as part of the ceasefire agreement reached in late 2024.
Trump told reporters outside the White House: “We are working on this file very seriously. We love Lebanon and its people, but Hezbollah, which has caused disasters for many years, must be eliminated.”
The American administration asked Israel not to target Beirut International Airport or the infrastructure of the Lebanese state, while officials confirmed that Israel agreed to protect the airport, but did not commit to protecting the rest of the infrastructure, after it bombed a bridge in southern Lebanon that it said was used by Hezbollah to transport troops and weapons.
The latest escalation
Two days ago, Hezbollah fired more than 200 missiles at northern Israel in a coordinated attack with Iran, which in turn fired dozens of missiles. An Israeli official told Axios: “Before this attack, we were prepared for a ceasefire in Lebanon, but after it there is no turning back from a massive ground operation.”
There are currently three armored and infantry divisions of the Israeli army on the Lebanese border, with some forces carrying out limited operations over the past two weeks.
On Friday, Israel announced sending reinforcements and mobilizing additional reserves in preparation for the expanded ground invasion.
An Israeli official said: “The goal is to control the territory, push Hezbollah forces northward away from the border, and dismantle its military positions and weapons depots in the villages.”
For his part, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem considered that the Lebanese government’s diplomatic path had failed to protect sovereignty or civilians, and said that “there is no solution except through resistance.” He added: “Every advance of the ground invasion gives resistance fighters an opportunity to achieve gains through direct confrontation with the enemy.”
During his speech on the occasion of “Jerusalem Day,” Qassem stressed that the confrontation with Israel is not a “limited confrontation,” but rather an existential battle for Lebanon and the resistance, stressing: “We have prepared ourselves for a long confrontation, and the enemy will be surprised in the field. There is neither defeat nor surrender in our dictionary.”
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assigned former Minister Ron Dermer to manage the Lebanese file during the war, to be in charge of communicating with the Trump administration and leading any possible negotiations with the Lebanese government.
Earlier, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Hezbollah of trying to overthrow the Lebanese state by setting up an “ambush” to drag the country into a comprehensive war with Israel, stressing that launching missiles from southern Lebanon was a “trap” aimed at putting the state in front of two options: either direct confrontation with Israel, which threatens the state “from the outside,” or withdrawing from it, allowing the armed team to justify its weapons and topple the state “from within.”
Despite the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in 2024, Israeli attacks on the party’s positions in Lebanon continued, with sporadic ground incursions, which led to the conflict expanding and continuing to escalate.
