Lebanese troops withdrew from positions along the country’s southern border with Israel late Monday, as signs mount that an Israeli ground incursion may be imminent, heightening tensions in the region just days after Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
A Lebanese security source, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, told Reuters that troops had pulled back to positions about five kilometers (3 miles) north of the border. The Lebanese army has not officially confirmed or denied this movement.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told local council heads in northern Israel that the next phase of the war along Lebanon’s southern border would begin soon. “We will use all the means that may be required – your forces, other forces, from the air, from the sea, and on land,” Gallant told troops.
The Israeli military has declared areas around the communities of Metula, Misgav Am, and Kfar Giladi in northern Israel as closed military zones, prohibiting entry.
Amal Al-Hourani, mayor of Jdeidet Marjayoun, a Lebanese village near the border, reported that two locals received calls apparently from the Israeli army, urging immediate evacuation.
A U.S. official, requesting anonymity, told Reuters that the positioning of Israeli troops suggested a ground incursion could be imminent. The Washington Post cited another unnamed U.S. official stating that Israel had informed the U.S. the operation would be smaller than its 2006 war against Hezbollah, focusing on border security.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed that Israel had notified the U.S. of limited ground operations targeting Hezbollah infrastructure near the border.
Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem, in his first public speech since Nasrallah’s death, declared, “The resistance forces are ready for a ground engagement.” He added that Hezbollah would “choose a secretary-general for the party at the earliest opportunity.”
The escalation comes amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, which have killed about 1,000 civilians and displaced one million, according to the Lebanese government. The death toll from a recent strike on the town of Ain Deleb has risen to 45, Lebanon’s health ministry reported.
U.S. President Joe Biden has called for a ceasefire, expressing concern over the potential for further escalation. “I’m more worried than you might know and I’m comfortable with them stopping,” Biden told reporters.
Source: Reuters
