Any Lebanon ground operation to be ‘as short as possible’: Israeli official

JERUSALEM

An Israeli security official said Friday that a ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon is expected to be “as short as possible,” according to a report from The Times of Israel.

The official, speaking anonymously, said, “We will try to do it as short as we can. I think that we are preparing that every day, and for sure that is inside our toolbox.”

In recent days, Israeli officials have suggested the possibility of launching a ground offensive in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli army, for its part, said in a statement, “As part of increasing the level of readiness in the northern arena, two reserve brigades have been mobilized for combat as part of the northern campaign in recent days.”

“After carrying out operational duties along the northern border during the war, the 6th and 228th Reserve Brigades, and several additional reserve battalions, were mobilized to enable combat efforts to continue, target Hezbollah's military capabilities, and create the conditions for residents of northern Israel to return safely to their homes,” the statement added.

Israel has pounded Lebanon since Monday morning, killing over 700 people and injuring nearly 2,200 others, according to figures released by the Lebanese Health Ministry.

The ministry also said that the death toll in Lebanon since last October is 1540, in addition to more than 77,000 displaced from southern and eastern parts of the country.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed more than 41,500 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7.

The international community has warned against the strikes on Lebanon, as they raise the specter of turning the Gaza conflict into a regional war.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio