The long-feared moment has arrived. Israel launched a ground operation into southern Lebanon early Tuesday morning, escalating the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah after days of relentless airstrikes. This offensive, approved by the Israeli war cabinet, comes hours after the United States expressed growing concerns about the escalating situation. The ground incursion marks a new phase in the war against the Lebanese-based group, raising questions about its objectives, potential consequences, and the global response.
In the early hours of Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) crossed into southern Lebanon, initiating “limited” raids targeting Hezbollah positions in the border area. The IDF stated that its troops, supported by airstrikes and artillery, launched ground raids targeting Hezbollah “in villages close to the border,” specifically those posing an “immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.” The operation, dubbed “Northern Arrows,” is intended to be “limited, localized, and targeted,” according to the IDF, and will continue “according to the situational assessment and in parallel to combat in Gaza and in other arenas.”
As Israeli forces moved into Lebanon, local residents reported heavy shelling and the sound of helicopters and drones overhead. An Al Jazeera report indicated that Israel had carried out a raid on the Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp in Sidon, resulting in the deaths of five people. Meanwhile, Israel claimed that Hezbollah had been launching rockets at Israel since midnight, but these attacks caused no significant damage.
The stated aim of the ground invasion, according to Israeli officials, is to dismantle Hezbollah positions along Israel’s northern border. This, they argue, will create the conditions for a diplomatic agreement that would push Hezbollah forces back beyond the Litani River, in line with a UN Security Council resolution. Israel insists that the operation will be limited in both scope and duration, emphasizing that it is not intended to occupy southern Lebanon.
The timing of this offensive is significant. It follows a series of events that began with the bombing of a cafe in Israel on October 7th, killing 37 and injuring around 3,000. This attack triggered a wave of Israeli airstrikes targeting over 1,300 locations in Lebanon, aiming to cripple Hezbollah’s military infrastructure. These strikes resulted in the elimination of key Hezbollah commanders, including their leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
In the lead-up to the ground operation, Israel conducted small, targeted raids into southern Lebanon, infiltrating Hezbollah tunnels along the border. These raids, according to a Wall Street Journal report, were designed to gather intelligence and further degrade Hezbollah’s capabilities. Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, addressing troops on Monday, highlighted that the elimination of Nasrallah was “a very important step, but it is not the final one.” He emphasized that Israel would employ all its resources, including air, sea, and land forces, to achieve its objectives.
Following the Israeli ground invasion, the United States, Israel’s primary ally, expressed support for the offensive, stating that it is in line with Israel’s right to defend itself from terrorist threats. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, in a statement posted to X after speaking with Gallant, asserted that they “agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hezbollah cannot conduct October 7-style attacks on Israel’s northern communities.” Austin also issued a warning to Iran, threatening “serious consequences” if it directly attacks Israel in response to the ongoing conflict. However, he reiterated the need for a diplomatic resolution, stating, “I reaffirm that a diplomatic resolution is required to ensure that civilians can return safely to their homes on both sides of the border.”
The UK government responded by arranging a charter plane to evacuate British citizens and their dependents from Lebanon. British nationals, their spouses, partners, and children under 18 are eligible for evacuation, with priority given to vulnerable individuals. The flight is scheduled to depart from Beirut on Wednesday, with the UK government covering the cost of the charter flight. British nationals will be required to pay a fee of £350 per seat.
The objectives of Israel’s ground incursion remain a subject of debate. Some analysts believe that the operation is a test to assess Hezbollah’s actual military strength. Omar Rahman, a fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, stated that “Obviously, Israel would be making a fatal mistake to send in, at the start, a massive ground invasion given what has happened in the past fighting Hezbollah.” He further suggested that the “special forces, which are a sort of expeditionary force to probe and see the landscape, see the level of Hezbollah resistance that remains in light of both the bombardment and the confusion that must be existing within Hezbollah’s ranks as a result of the assassinations, the killing of Hassan Nasrallah and a lot of the senior leadership.”
While Israel aims to cripple Hezbollah, analysts believe that eradicating the group is nearly impossible. A broader ground invasion of Lebanon could be highly provocative, reviving memories of the 2006 war, which caused significant damage and destruction. Experts warn that a larger invasion could pose risks for Israel itself. The situation in Lebanon, they contend, would be different than that in Gaza. Hezbollah’s forces are estimated to number between 20,000 and 30,000, with thousands more in reserve. Their special forces unit, the Radwan Force, comprises 3,000 soldiers specifically trained to operate in the south, possessing intimate knowledge of the terrain. Hezbollah, backed by Iran, also possesses a significant arsenal of advanced weaponry.
Defence specialists argue that even if the incursion achieves its goal of creating a buffer zone, it will not deter rocket attacks and would require Israel to deploy troops to maintain the area, leading to significant economic losses. The ground operation in Lebanon represents a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, with potential implications for the region and the world. The situation remains fluid, and its outcome remains uncertain, as international observers watch closely to see how the situation unfolds.
