Rumors that the Israeli army is preparing to enter Lebanon and attack Hezbollah

Hezbollah fighters during a 2023 military exercise in southern Lebanon (Photo: AP).

According to LBCI , an unidentified Arab country provided intelligence reports on Israel's plans to Hezbollah.

The potential operation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is aimed at forcing Hezbollah to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, the news agency said.

The resolution, passed after the end of the Israel-Lebanon war in 2006, included a provision to establish a demilitarized zone along the border between the two countries.

Since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023 and Israel launched a retaliatory operation in Gaza, Hezbollah has fired rockets and mortars at Israeli positions. The IDF has also responded with attacks.

If Israel attacks Lebanon, it will face fighting in both the north and south of the country: in the north is Hezbollah in Lebanon, in the south is Gaza (Graphic: BBC).

Last week, Israeli Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said the possibility of conflict with Beirut was “much higher than before,” adding that the IDF was “increasingly prepared” for a cross-border attack.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said that the involvement of other countries in the fighting between Israel and Hamas would be "unacceptable".

He also warned that a war with Lebanon would be no "picnic" for Israel. Hezbollah MP Hassan Ezzedine also asserted that the group's fighters would "strike back with double force and inflict heavy blows on the enemy."

Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to the Middle East to try to prevent an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah.

According to the Washington Post , US officials are concerned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may want to attack Israel's northern neighbor as his government faces increasing criticism for failing to prevent Hamas' October 7 attack.

The Washington Post article also stated that the IDF would "find it difficult to succeed" in a two-front war against Hamas and Hezbollah.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/ro-tin-quan-doi-israel-chuan-bi-tien-vao-li-bang-tan-cong-hezbollah-20240128123613221.htm