An Israeli ground invasion into Lebanon appears imminent after the IDF called up two more reserve brigades – amounting to several thousand troops.
The deployment to northern Israel, which borders southern Lebanon, came just hours after a top Israeli commander told his forces that “we need to be very ready to go into action and to invade”.
The IDF said the call-up was intended for future “operational missions” in the north.
A military spokesperson said: “Their recruitment will allow the continuation of the war effort against the Hezbollah terror organisation, the protection of the citizens of the State of Israel, and the creation of the conditions for the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes.”
The chances of a ground invasion appear more likely today after Israel dismissed a US-French proposal for a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israel’s foreign minister Israel Katz said: “There will be no ceasefire in the north. We will continue to fight against the terrorist organisation Hezbollah with all our might until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not respond directly to the proposal, but he told the Israeli military to keep fighting with full force in Lebanon.
Overnight, the Israeli military hit around 75 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa region
This comes a day after the IDF Northern Command chief Major General Ori Gordin said the army needed to be prepared for a potential ground invasion of Lebanon to remove the threat posed by Hezbollah.
He said: “We need to change the security situation. We need to be very strongly prepared to enter [Lebanon] in a [ground] manoeuvre. We have entered a new phase of the campaign, and we are now in ‘Operation Northern Arrows.
“The operation began with a significant blow to Hezbollah’s capabilities, focusing on their firepower capabilities, and a very significant hit on the organization’s commanders and operatives.”
Maj. Gen. Gordin echoed Israeli military chief Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, who told troops that extensive air strikes in Lebanon could allow troops to “enter enemy territory”.
In a filmed clip, he can be heard telling IDF troops: “You hear the jets overhead; we have been striking all day. This is both to prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah.”
However, military experts disagree on the timing of the invasion. Former IDF intelligence chief Amos Yadlin has urged the IDF to first wear down Hezbollah with air power for two weeks before beginning a ground forces invasion.
However, other inside sources told the Jerusalem Post that the main part of a ground invasion had to be completed by the start of November – in just over a month – due to the difficulty of fighting in Lebanon’s mountainous winter weather.
Around 60,000 Israeli residents have been evacuated from their homes in northern Israel since clashes between Hezbolllah and the IDF started on October 8 last year.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese health ministry said that nearly 600 people have died since Israel‘s air offensive on Monday. More than 70,000 Lebanese residents have fled to shelters since the Israeli air strikes began.