Israeli military chief: ground offensive against Lebanon being prepared

Shafaq News/ The Israeli military is preparing for a ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, who addressed soldiers during a drill in northern Israel.

“You can hear the planes above; we are attacking all day. Both to prepare the area for the possibility of your entry [into Lebanon], and to continue delivering strikes against Hezbollah,” Halevi told troops from the 7th Armored Brigade during a simulation of a ground offensive in Lebanon.

Halevi said Hezbollah had expanded its range of fire and warned that it would face a "very strong response" later in the day, after the group fired a missile at central Israel earlier.

“We will continue to attack and strike them everywhere,” he said. “The goal is clear: to safely return the displaced residents of the north.”

The military is preparing a ground maneuver to achieve this, Halevi said, telling soldiers that their “military boots will enter enemy territory.” He described Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon as large military outposts with underground infrastructure, staging points, and launchpads intended for attacks on Israeli civilians.

“Your entry into those areas with force, your encounter with Hezbollah operatives, will show them what it means to face a professional, highly skilled, and battle-experienced force,” Halevi stated. He added that the troops would "decisively destroy" Hezbollah's infrastructure to secure the safe return of northern residents.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) is pressing for an international investigation into attacks on Lebanon. Israeli strikes on the country on Monday killed at least 558 people – the deadliest day of violence since Lebanon’s 1975-90 civil war.

Fifty-one people have been killed in Israeli air strikes on Wednesday, Lebanon's health ministry said.

More than 90,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon since Monday, the UN said, as Israel's military says it is carrying out a new wave of "extensive" strikes in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa area.