Reports say Israeli special forces currently operating in southern Lebanon in preparation for ground incursion

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Israeli special forces began carrying out “small, targeted raids” in southern Lebanon in preparation for a larger-scale entrance of ground forces into the country. 

The Journal said that the limited raids have focused on intelligence gathering and force probing, including entrance into some of the Hezbollah tunnels located on the border. 

Israeli leaders have increasingly signaled an imminent ground incursion in recent weeks, even before the pager strikes or the launch of Operation Northern Arrows. 

Even opposition politicians have expressed their support for a ground incursion aimed at pushing Hezbollah forces north of the Litani River, as demanded U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701. 

The remarkable unity among Israeli politicians on this issue spells trouble for U.S. and Western attempts to dissuade Israel from entering Lebanon. 

On Sunday, opposition Democrats party leader Yair Golan said that northern residents could not return to the north as long as Hezbollah remains a threat.

In an interview later on Army Radio, Golan said, "A ground invasion of Lebanon is necessary in order to ensure that there is no Hezbollah presence south of the Litani River."

Opposition leaders Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid called for Israel to continue striking Hezbollah while also pursuing diplomatic options.

The U.S. and Western leaders are concerned about the possibility of a broader regional war or a continued Israeli presence in Lebanon, as happened after the First Lebanon War, when Israeli forces occupied southern Lebanon for almost two decades. 

The preparations for an IDF incursion into Lebanon represent a dramatic reversal of the situation from a few months ago, when Hezbollah was threatening to invade northern Israel. 

According to Walla News, Israel has begun intense information gathering over the past few weeks aimed at getting precise intelligence on the positions of Radwan Force units, and changes to Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon. 

The IDF has also begun gathering forces in the north, including calling up several reserve brigades and conducting training operations in preparation for ground operations inside Lebanon. 

On Monday morning, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited troops in the north, telling them, "The elimination of Nasrallah is an important step, but it is not the final one. In order to ensure the return of Israel’s northern communities, we will employ all of our capabilities, and this includes you,” Gallant said while speaking to troops of the 188th Armored Brigade and Golani Infantry Brigade.

According to security assessments, there is a broad consensus among both the IDF leadership and the political echelon that a ground operation will be necessary to remove the Hezbollah threat from Israel’s northern border. 

A security source told Walla, some units are already undergoing intense advance combat training in preparation. 

“The ground maneuver is intended to destroy targets but also to project to the Middle East the strength and might of the IDF, to Hezbollah and also internally to the entire army,” he said. 

One area of particular focus for the forces is the issue of Hezbollah tunnels intended to allow forces to rapidly approach the border without coming under fire from IDF positions. 

Metula Mayor David Azoulay spoke about Hezbollah's tunnels in an interview on Radio North 104.5 FM. 

“We know that there are tunnels up near the border, but we don't know if the tunnels cross it,” Azoulay said. 

Israeli security officials have said that killing high-level Hezbollah senior operatives is of limited value in returning the evacuated citizens to their homes in the northern communities. 

Officials say the real threat is the Hezbollah munitions in southern Lebanon, which can strike across the border in seconds. To remove that threat, a ground incursion will likely be necessary. 

On Sunday, ABC News reported that Israel may have already begun small-scale “border movements” aimed at targeting Hezbollah positions along the Israel-Lebanon border. 

Israel appears to be ready to capitalize on the momentum it has gained through the significant attacks on Hezbollah over the past couple of weeks, including the exploding pagers, and the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.