This is the fourth time that Israeli soldiers have publicly entered Lebanese soil in nearly 50 years
Israel has launched a ground operation across its northern border into Lebanon targeting the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
The Israel’s National Security Cabinet has called the incursion, the “next phase” of its war with Hezbollah. This is the fourth time that Israeli soldiers have publicly entered Lebanese soil in nearly 50 years, and the first since Israel’s 34-day war in the country in 2006.
Israeli troops laid the groundwork for what it called a “limited ground operation” in recent days, ramping up airstrikes that have killed hundreds of people, destroyed homes and displaced about 1 million people in Lebanon.
Taking it to X, the Prime Minister of Israel – Benjamin Netanyahu posted (translated to English), “Together we will stand, fight and win >>” Original tweet in Hebrew:
יחד נעמוד, נילחם וננצח >> pic.twitter.com/ig8t9QnOq0
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 1, 2024
Israeli has described the Lebanon incursion as limited in scope, saying there will be “no long-term occupation.” The Israeli military called on residents in more than 2 dozen villages in Southern Lebanon to evacuate approximately 30 miles into the country. The Israeli military earlier said it was focused on removing “immediate threats” from Lebanese villages along the border, including Hezbollah’s ability to infiltrate northern Israel.
The latest escalation comes after Israel killed Hezbollah leader – Hassan Nasrallah, in an air strike in Beirut. Just more than a week ago, Israel had killed Senior Hezbollah Commander – Ibrahim Aqil in Beirut. These events come just 2 months after Hamas’s Political Bureau Chief – Ismail Haniyeh, was killed by Israel in Iran.
Israel has also ramped up attacks on multiple fronts against other Iran-backed militants, including launching strikes targeting the Houthis in Yemen. But despite the recent Israeli strikes on its proxies, Iran has appeared wary of moving into direct conflict with its long time enemy, even as their decades-long shadow war has been pushed further into the open.
Several States and United Nations (U.N.) have warned of the impact on civilians in Lebanon and the risk of further regional instability. The European Union (E.U.) renewed its call for an immediate ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) expressed deep concern over the recent escalations, fearing its impact on regional stability. Saudi Arabia said it stresses the need to preserve Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Qatar expressed solidarity with Lebanon as well as readiness to provide support to the people to confront the consequences of the Israeli aggression. Turkey also condemned Israel’s ground operation, calling it a violation of sovereignty and an unlawful act of occupation.
The U.N.’s World Food Programme has also launched an emergency project to scale up food assistance for up to 1 million people in need in Lebanon.
