US media: Israel preparing to invade Lebanon in a "limited operation" that may begin tonight

US media reported, citing officials, that Israel is preparing for an "imminent" invasion of Lebanon, amid US concerns about the expansion of the war, and British and French calls not to launch a ground attack on Lebanon.

Axios quoted Israeli officials today, Monday, as saying, "We are preparing for an imminent ground invasion focusing on villages near the border in southern Lebanon."

They added that the aim of the ground incursion is to clear the border and allow the return of tens of thousands of residents.

The Washington Post also quoted a US official on Monday as saying that Israel had informed Washington that it was planning to launch a limited ground operation in Lebanon that could begin soon.

The US official added that the campaign planned by Israel would be smaller than its last war against Hezbollah in 2006, and would focus on "cleansing" Hezbollah's infrastructure to remove any threat on the northern border.

He pointed out that Israel's plans for a limited ground operation are consistent with the United States, and that Washington and Tel Aviv have agreed not to repeat what happened in Gaza in Lebanon.

The American official noted that Israel has reduced its plans for a large-scale ground invasion to focus on an operation that includes only destroying missile launch pads.

For its part, CBS quoted an American official as saying that Israel informed Washington that the ground operation it will launch in southern Lebanon is imminent and may begin tonight.

Limited operations

An Israeli official told the newspaper that Tel Aviv had assured the United States that it would launch "limited operations" in a number of villages along the border with Lebanon.

Another US official confirmed to CNN that Israel may "soon" launch a limited ground attack on southern Lebanon, but spoke of Washington's "concern" that the limited ground incursion could develop into a larger operation in the long term.

An American official told Al Jazeera that Israeli special forces had already carried out limited incursions into southern Lebanon "to survey the situation and prepare the conditions for a ground operation."

The official indicated that Israel may resort to establishing a buffer zone in the area to ensure the return of its residents to the north.

Biden comments

Commenting on media reports of an “imminent” Israeli ground operation in southern Lebanon, US President Joe Biden said he was “aware” of the reports, and that he would be “comfortable if military operations between Israel and Hezbollah stopped,” adding, “We must reach a ceasefire immediately.”

Earlier today, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant hinted at the Israeli army's intention to carry out a ground invasion of southern Lebanon.

Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the Israeli army is exerting pressure at the political level to approve a ground operation in Lebanon.

Galant said - during a meeting with the heads of local authorities in the north - that the next phase in the war against Hezbollah will begin soon.

Tour on the border

Galant toured near the northern border, where he met with fighters from the 188th Brigade and the Golani Brigade, according to the Israeli news website Ynet.

"Eliminating (Hezbollah Secretary-General) Hassan Nasrallah is a very important step, but it is not everything," he told the soldiers, including those from the Armored Corps.

He added, "I say here to the reserve and regular soldiers: Everything that needs to be done will be done, and our goal is to return the residents of the north to their homes."

"We are ready to make every possible effort... and we will activate everything necessary, your forces and other forces, from the air, land and sea," he added.

In contrast, Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's deputy secretary-general, confirmed - in his first public speech after Nasrallah's assassination - that the party's fighters are ready to confront any Israeli ground invasion, indicating that Israel will not achieve its goals.

He said, "We will confront any possibility if the Israeli (army) decides to enter by land. The resistance forces are ready for a ground engagement."

French invitation

In the first reaction to the escalation of Israeli threats to invade Lebanon, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot today urged Israel not to launch any ground invasion of Lebanon.

"I urge Israel not to launch any ground incursion and to cease fire. I call on Hezbollah to do the same and not to take any action that might destabilize the region," Barrow told reporters during a visit to Lebanon.

"We are ready to help implement Resolution 1701 (on the cessation of hostilities in southern Lebanon) and we will enhance our support for the Lebanese army," he added, stressing that the previous ceasefire proposal for Lebanon "is still on the table."

In the context, Britain said on Monday that all parties must seek to de-escalate and cease fire after Israel launched air strikes on targets in Lebanon, stressing the need for all parties to the conflict to step back from the brink.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain's support for Israel's right to self-defence was "unwavering" but stability and security in the region could only be restored through a ceasefire.

It is noteworthy that the Israeli army had previously announced its readiness for a wider war in Lebanon, and said that a ground operation was an option, indicating that Hezbollah could still fire on Israel.

Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said that difficult days await Israel, just a few days after the assassination of the Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, in an Israeli raid in the southern suburbs of Beirut, which also resulted in the deaths of prominent leaders in the party and a commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

Source: Al Jazeera + Agencies