Israel Mulls Military Operation Against Hezbollah In Lebanon (Videos)

Click to see full-size image. (Israeli Defense Forces)

The Israeli Security Cabinet held a meeting on November 4 to assess possible military options against Hezbollah over alleged “violations” of the ceasefire agreement brokered last year by the United States, Ynet reported.

According to the report, the meeting, attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, focused on Hezbollah’s efforts to rebuild its capabilities, particularly in areas south of the Litani River.

Officials from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) presented several operational options, including intensified strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

The news website said that the proposals are expected to be submitted for Cabinet approval soon, noting that their implementation will depend on multiple factors, including diplomatic discussions with the U.S. and the Lebanese government, as well as broader regional developments,

In August, the Lebanese government approved a plan to disarm Hezbollah in line with a proposal presented by the U.S. And in September, the government announced that it has begun to implement the plan. Hezbollah, however, rejected any talk of disarmament.

Israel has been launching strikes against Hezbollah on a regular basis since a ceasefire brokered by the United States came into effect last November, citing “violations” by the group.

On November 4, a suspected Israeli strike hit a vehicle near the town of Kfar Dajjal in southern Lebanon, wounding at least one person.

The IDF said a day earlier that it killed two Hezbollah members in separate strikes in southern Lebanon. The first strike, near the town of Nabatieh, killed Muhammad Ali Hadid, who the military claimed was a commander in the group’s elite Radwan Force. The second strike, in the town of Ayta ash-Shab, killed an unnamed member who was carrying out surveillance on Israeli troops, the military said.

Multiple recent reports by Hebrew and even Western and Arab media accused Hezbollah of rearming by smuggling weapons into Lebanon, including through Syria, in what appears to be a coordinated media campaign meant to justify an upcoming IDF operation against the group.

Speaking at a government meeting on November 2, Netanyahu repeated the exact same accusations against Hezbollah and vowed that Israel will act.

“Hezbollah is indeed taking hits all the time, including in these very days, but it is also trying to arm itself and recover,” the primer said.

“We expect the Lebanese government to do what it committed to do, namely to disarm Hezbollah, but it is clear that we will exercise our right to self-defense as stipulated in the ceasefire conditions. We will not allow Lebanon to become a renewed front against us and will act as necessary,” he added.

Refuting these accusations, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who heads the Hezbollah-allied Shiite Amal Movement, told reporters on November 4 that Israel’s claims that weapons are being smuggled into Lebanon through Syria are false. He also stated that “the resistance,” a reference to Hezbollah, “is fully committed to the ceasefire agreement.”

All recent developments indicate that Israel is about to launch a military operation against Hezbollah. The operation will likely consist mainly of an aerial campaign. However, the IDF could also conduct raids, or even expand its control along Lebanon’s border with Syria on both sides.

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