Israel may soon begin ground operations in Lebanon – WP – World

WASHINGTON, September 30. /TASS/. Israel has told the United States it may soon launch a ground military operation in Lebanon, the Washington Post reported, citing a U.S. official.

The report said the campaign would be limited in scope and smaller than the previous operation against the group in 2006. Israel will focus on clearing Hezbollah infrastructure along the border to remove the threat to residents of Israeli border communities, the official said.

As previously reported by the Wall Street Journal, a potential ground invasion could occur this week. However, according to the newspaper, the schedule for any ground operations may change. The United States is putting a lot of pressure on Israel to prevent an all-out invasion.

On September 17 and 18, multiple explosions of communications devices and other electronic gadgets ripped through Lebanon, starting a new wave of escalation between Israel and Hezbollah. The Lebanese group blamed Israel for the incidents. Israel did not comment directly on the detonation of the devices, but announced it was intensifying military operations in the north. On September 23, Israel launched a military operation codenamed Arrows of the North against Hezbollah in Lebanon, carrying out widespread attacks on the group’s military facilities. The stated goal is to create a safe environment in areas near Israel’s northern border so that tens of thousands of people can return to their homes. In a September 27 strike, Israel eliminated Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.