Israel is “currently conducting” limited operations targeting Hezbollah inside neighboring Lebanon, the US State Department said 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 spokesman Matthew Miller told journalists.
The Lebanese Army is withdrawing from certain points along the southern border for repositioning purposes, according to a Lebanese military source.
The Israeli army has imposed a closed military zone in the areas of Kfar Giladi, Misgav Am and Metula in northern Israel until Sunday October 6. The military says the move follows a fresh assessment.
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Rumors were circulating about a possible limited ground incursion into southern Lebanon on Monday evening.
A United States official told Reuters on Monday that the US has observed the positioning of Israeli troops that suggests that a ground incursion into Lebanon could be imminent.
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Moreover, The Jerusalem Post cited sources saying that the countdown to a ground operation in southern Lebanon is moving faster than expected, while The Washington Post cited American officials saying that “Israel has informed Washington that it is preparing for an imminent and limited ground operation in Lebanon.”
On Monday morning, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that the next phase of the war along the southern border of Lebanon will begin soon, while at least two American newspapers reported that special forces may have already conducted limited incursions into specific areas.
“The next phase of the war against Hezbollah will begin soon,” Gallant said in a meeting with local council heads in northern Israel, according to the statement. He noted that this next phase would contribute to achieving the war’s goal of returning evacuated residents to their homes.
