Israel’s defence minister has confirmed that the Israeli military has begun a ground offensive in Lebanon, as regional escalation continues to expand.
“The IDF (Israeli army) has begun a ground manoeuvre in Lebanon to remove threats and protect the residents of the Galilee and the north," Katz said on Monday in comments carried by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper during a situational assessment at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
“Hundreds of thousands of residents of southern Lebanon who have evacuated and are evacuating from their homes will not return to their homes south of the Litani area,” he added.
Katz said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the military to dismantle what he described as “militant infrastructure” in Lebanese villages along the border.
Israel’s public broadcaster reported that the military had asked the government to approve the mobilisation of 450,000 reservists in preparation for the Lebanon offensive.
The request is expected to be presented soon to government ministers and members of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee for approval, the broadcaster reported.
War to continue until May 26
An Israeli military official expects the war in Lebanon to continue until May 26, according to local media on Monday.
A senior officer in the army’s Northern Command told reserve soldiers during a closed meeting that fighting on the northern front could continue for several weeks until the Jewish holiday of Shavuot on May 26, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported.
The officer said the military’s goal is to take advantage of what he described as a possible collapse of the Iranian government “to eliminate Hezbollah and destroy infrastructure the group rebuilt during the ceasefire, as well as complete the destruction of remaining weapons depots and military equipment.”
“We will remain here as long as necessary,” the officer told reservists, adding that the offensive is ongoing and not limited to a specific timeframe.
Israeli soldiers troubled by uncertainty
According to the daily, the uncertainty surrounding the expected duration of the fighting has created confusion among reservists ahead of the Jewish holiday of Passover, which begins in early April.
“Many soldiers who were called up do not know how long they will serve and are experiencing increasing exhaustion,” the newspaper added.
Israeli forces are currently operating about 7 to 9 kilometres (4 to 6 miles) inside Lebanese territory, and the area under their control could expand ahead of a broader ground offensive, the newspaper said.
Earlier on Monday, Israeli opposition figure Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, warned on the US social media platform X that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government appears to be moving towards a ground invasion that could trap the army in what he called a “Lebanon quagmire and another endless war.”
The Israeli army expanded air strikes across Lebanon, including the capital Beirut, on March 2, following a cross-border attack by Hezbollah amid regional escalation in the wake of a joint offensive by Washington and Tel Aviv against Iran.
Lebanese health authorities said that the Israeli attacks have killed at least 850 people, including 66 women and 107 children, wounded 2,105 others and displaced more than 830,000 people.
Israel occupies areas in southern Lebanon, some of them for decades and others seized during the most recent war between October 2023 and November 2024.
