Media: Israel plans largest Lebanon ground operation since 2006 war

Israeli and US officials say Israel is preparing to significantly expand its ground operation in Lebanon, with the goal of seizing the entire area south of the Litani River and dismantling the military infrastructure of Hezbollah. The planned campaign could become the largest Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon since the 2006 Lebanon War, potentially pulling Lebanon deeper into the escalating regional war involving Iran.

A senior Israeli official said the military intends to replicate tactics used during the war in Gaza. “We are going to do what we did in Gaza,” the official said, referring to the widespread destruction of buildings Israel says Hezbollah uses to store weapons and launch attacks.

Officials warn that an operation of this scale could result in a prolonged Israeli presence in southern Lebanon. The government in Lebanon is reportedly deeply concerned that the renewed war, which Israeli officials say was triggered by Hezbollah’s decision to launch rockets at Israel, could devastate the country.

The administration of Donald Trump supports a major Israeli military operation aimed at disarming Hezbollah but is simultaneously urging Israel to limit damage to the Lebanese state. According to US and Israeli officials, Washington is also pushing for direct talks between Israel and Lebanon to negotiate a postwar arrangement.

Until recently, the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been attempting to contain the escalation along the Lebanese border in order to maintain its strategic focus on Iran, according to Israeli officials. That calculation shifted on Wednesday when Hezbollah launched more than 200 missiles at Israel in what officials described as a massive coordinated attack alongside Iran, which fired dozens of missiles of its own.

“Before this attack we were ready for a ceasefire in Lebanon, but after it there is no way back from a massive operation,” a senior Israeli official said.

Since the beginning of the war with Iran, the Israel Defense Forces has maintained three armored and infantry divisions along the Lebanese border, while some ground forces have carried out limited cross-border incursions over the past two weeks. On Friday, the military announced it was sending additional reinforcements to the border and mobilizing more reserve troops in preparation for an expanded ground campaign.

According to Israeli officials, the objective of the operation is to seize territory in southern Lebanon, push Hezbollah forces farther north and away from the border, and dismantle the group’s military positions and weapons depots located in villages across the region.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected diplomatic efforts pursued by the Lebanese government, arguing that negotiations had failed to achieve sovereignty or protect civilians. “There is no solution except resistance,” he said on Friday.

“When the enemy threatens a ground invasion, we tell him: this is not a threat, but one of the traps you will fall into,” Qassem said. “Because every advance of a ground invasion allows the resistance fighters to achieve gains and results through close confrontation with the enemy.”

Meanwhile, the Israeli military has issued evacuation orders across southern Lebanon and, for the first time, to towns and villages north of the Litani River, as well as to Hezbollah’s stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

The conflict has already caused significant humanitarian consequences. Around 800,000 Lebanese civilians have been displaced since the fighting began, and at least 773 people have been killed, many of them civilians.

Behind the scenes, US and Israeli officials say the Trump administration asked Israel not to target Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport or other major Lebanese state infrastructure during the operation. According to US officials, Israel agreed not to strike the airport but did not commit to protecting other state facilities.

On Friday, the Israeli military bombed a bridge in southern Lebanon, which it said Hezbollah had been using to move fighters and weapons. An Israeli official said coordination with Washington would continue during the campaign. “We feel we have full US backing for this operation,” the official said.

A US official echoed that view, saying: “The Israelis have to do what they have to do to stop the Hezbollah shelling.”

Israeli officials also said Netanyahu had tasked former minister Ron Dermer with overseeing the Lebanese file during the war. Dermer is expected to manage contacts with the Trump administration and lead potential negotiations with the Lebanese government if direct talks begin in the coming weeks.

On the US side, the issue is being handled by Trump adviser Massad Boulos, who also serves as the US envoy for Africa. Boulos, who is the father-in-law of Tiffany Trump, has been in contact with Israeli, Lebanese and Arab officials in recent days in an effort to facilitate direct talks between Israel and Lebanon.

In recent days, the Lebanese government has signaled that it is prepared to begin direct negotiations with Israel on the terms of a ceasefire immediately and without preconditions. According to sources familiar with the discussions, the Trump administration hopes such talks could eventually form the basis for a broader agreement formally ending the state of war between Israel and Lebanon that has existed since 1948 Arab–Israeli War.

By Tamilla Hasanova