Israel is sending additional troops to Lebanon for a ground operation in response to increased clashes with Hezbollah in the border area. Writes UNN with citing Air Force News.
According to the Israeli military, the decision to send additional units was made in response to increased exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in the border areas between Israel and Lebanon.
The Israeli army specified that infantry and armored troops from the 36th Division, including the Golani Brigade, the 188th Armored Brigade and the 6th Infantry Brigade, are participating in “localized, targeted raids” on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, which began on Monday.
The IDF issued a new warning Wednesday morning to evacuate residents of some 25 villages in southern Lebanon. The message, posted on social media in Arabic by IDF spokesman Avishai Adrai, came after reports of clashes in the region.
The warning states that the Israeli military does not seek to harm Lebanese civilians and urged them to immediately evacuate north of the Awali River, some 50 kilometers from the border with Israel.
The Awali River is located north of Litani, which was previously considered as a possible border for an Israeli ground operation in Lebanon. Litani is approximately 40 kilometers from the Israeli border.
As noted by BBC Middle East editor Sebastian Asher, the insertion of additional Israeli troops into Lebanon signals the possibility of increased operations against Hezbollah.
The IDF had previously said its goal was limited to destroying the Lebanese group's infrastructure in the border area to ensure the return of tens of thousands of Israelis to their homes in the north.
Israeli authorities say they are not planning a full-scale ground invasion of Beirut and other Lebanese cities. Israel has launched several strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs in recent hours.
“Hezbollah claims to have repelled an Israeli ground attack and continues to fire rockets at Israel.
Recall
Despite current U.S. defense support, Israel will not receive increased assistance during the escalation due to the approaching U.S. elections. And the possible consequences for Iran will be limited to sanctions and intelligence support.