Israeli troops on the ground in Gaza. Photo: IDF via Reuters
Israel has told the United States that it is “currently conducting” limited ground operations against Hezbollah targets inside neighboring Lebanon, the US State Department said on Monday.
“This is what they have informed us that they are currently conducting, which are limited operations targeting Hezbollah infrastructure near the border,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.
When asked to confirm they were limited ground operations, Miller responded, “That is our understanding.”
Miller’s comments came amid growing speculation that the Jewish state has greenlighted a new phase in its goal to debilitate the Hezbollah terrorist group’s military capabilities. The newly announced military ground operations also came on the heels of Israel’s successful elimination of several high-profile Hezbollah members, including leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday.
“No. 1, Israel has a right to defend itself against Hezbollah. If you look at how this conflict across Israel’s northern border started, it was Hezbollah that started launching attacks on Israel on Oct. 8th, and those attacks continued, and have continued and are continuing,” Miller said. “If you look at what the acting leader of Hezbollah said just today, it’s that their attacks on Israel will continue, so Israel has a right to defend itself against those attacks. That includes targeting terrorist infrastructure inside Lebanon.”
Miller also reaffirmed that the US remains committed to securing a ceasefire deal. He added that active and vigorous military operations can help advance diplomatic goals between adversarial parties. However, he warned that overzealous or imprudent military actions can have unexpected consequences and lead to escalation, hurting diplomatic discussions.
Miller rebuffed the notion that achieving a ceasefire would require Israel compromising its own security priorities.
“I think sometimes people either misinterpret or have their own version of what a ceasefire is. A ceasefire is not one side in a conflict unilaterally putting down its arms and stopping the conflict; it is an agreement for both sides to stop the conflict,” Miller said.
Earlier this month, Israel officially expanded its military goals to include returning displaced Israelis from the north back to their homes after they were forced to flee amid unrelenting fire from the Iran-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah in Lebanon.
On Oct. 8, one day after Hamas’s slaughter of roughly 1,200 people in southern Israel, Hezbollah began pummeling northern Israeli communities almost daily with barrages of drones, rockets, and missiles from southern Lebanon, where it wields significant political and military influence. One such attack killed 12 children in the small Druze town of Majdal Shams.
About 80,000 Israelis have been forced to evacuate Israel’s north during that time due to the unrelenting attacks. Most of them have spent the past year living in hotels in other areas of the country.
Israel began a blistering campaign against Hezbollah two weeks ago, launching a wave of airstrikes that have crippled the Iran-backed terrorist group’s leadership. Many observes believe Israel wants to establish a demilitarized buffer zone between the Jewish state and Lebanon, aiming to decrease violence from non-state actors such as Hezbollah.
Israel is widely believed to be behind the recent explosions of communications devices used by Hezbollah terrorists, although the Jewish state has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Israeli special forces have been carrying out small, targeted raids into southern Lebanon to gather intelligence ahead of an expected broader ground incursion.
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