Israel Launches 'Limited' Ground Raids in Lebanon
Israel Launches 'Limited' Ground Raids in Lebanon
The Facts
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its special forces launched "limited, localized, and targeted" ground attacks Monday night against "Hezbollah targets and infrastructure," with the stated goal, reportedly approved by the US, of pushing Hezbollah behind the Litani River.
Hezbollah denied Israel's claim, arguing there had "not yet been any direct ground clashes between" the opposing forces. However, an Israel-based political analyst said that since Israel didn't send "an invasion force," but rather "commando units," "both sides are telling their version of the truth."
The Spin
While engaging on the ground in Lebanon may not work perfectly in Israel's favor, the Jewish state still faces continuous threats from Yemen to Lebanon. Israel has a right to defend itself, and though it must also be careful not to spread itself too thin in the face of a still-formidable Hezbollah, using strategic operations to push the terror group back seems like a smart move.
Despite the current US administration's softball tactics against Iran and its proxies in Yemen, Israel's aggressiveness in Lebanon has brought Tehran to its knees. Hezbollah is Iran's strongest ally and was supposed to be a terrifying enemy, but now that Israel has effectively crushed it, the West and its Middle East allies can rest assured that Iran is now on its heels.
Unless Hezbollah retreats, the only way for Israel to win is through a full-scale invasion deep into Lebanon. If Tel Aviv chose to do this, however, it would have to stop its airstrikes to protect its troops on the ground, and thus Hezbollah would be able to continue launching strikes into Israel. And if Israel continues bombarding civilian populations across the region, more and more people in both the Middle East and the West will support the victims of Israeli aggression.
