Israeli military prepares for possible ground operation in Lebanon
The Israeli military is activating two reserve soldier brigades in what could be part of the preparation for a possible ground invasion into Lebanon.
The Israeli military said Wednesday that after an assessment of the situation, it is activating two reserve brigades for operations on the northern front.
The military announcement was made shortly after the chief of the Israeli military Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin, said that the troops need to prepare themselves for a ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Addressing Brigade 7 during a drill simulating a ground operation, Gordin said, "We have entered another phase of the campaign. … The operation began with a very significant blow to Hezbollah’s capabilities, with an emphasis on [rocket] capabilities, and a very significant blow to the commanders and members of the organization.” He added, "We need to change the security situation. We need to be very strongly prepared to enter [Lebanon] in a [ground] maneuver."
The Israeli military continued strikes on Wednesday after Hezbollah said it had fired a ballistic missile toward Tel Aviv that was intercepted. Israeli strikes earlier this week killed over 550 people and hundreds of thousands of Lebanese residents have fled their homes in the south and east of the country, according to Lebanese authorities.
Gordin stressed that the ongoing military operations against Hezbollah must change the security reality for Israel's northern residents who evacuated their homes almost a year ago.
The Israeli military said in its Wednesday statement that activating the reservists would "enable the continuation of the fighting efforts against Hezbollah, the protection of Israeli citizens and creating conditions for the return of the residents of the north safely back home." A brigade generally includes between 3,000 and 6,000 soldiers.
The Israeli security cabinet is set to convene Wednesday evening before the departure of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Netanyahu already postponed his trip to the United States twice because of the situation in the north.
