American officials estimate this morning (Sunday) that Israel may have already begun limited ground operations near the border inside Lebanese territory, ABC reports.
According to the report, it is estimated that the IDF is conducting targeted operations to damage Hezbollah positions in the border area.
Last night, the network reported, citing a senior American source, that Israel is preparing for a limited ground incursion into Lebanon. The source claimed that Israel has rejected a ceasefire proposal from the European Union, even for a short time, and that it is not communicating with the Biden administration on the matter.
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According to the sources, Israel has not yet made a final decision on a large-scale ground operation in Lebanon, but is prepared for such a possibility. "If a ground operation occurs, its scope is expected to be limited," one of the sources noted. "The main goal is to allow tens of thousands of displaced people from northern Israel to return to their homes safely.".
The officials emphasized that eliminating Hezbollah's leadership alone will not be enough to achieve this goal, and more extensive action is required.
CNN reported that the US is not ruling out the possibility of a limited IDF ground maneuver in Lebanon, but Israel has not yet made a clear decision on the matter. According to the report, the American assessment was based on Israeli troop movements and the evacuation of areas that were supposedly intended for the ground entry.
Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi said on Wednesday during an exercise in the north: "We are preparing the maneuver, and the meaning is that your military shoes, your maneuver boots, are entering enemy territory, entering a village that Hezbollah has prepared as a large military post. You are coming much stronger than them.".
