Israel Troops Ready for Action at Lebanon Border, Says Gallant

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of Israel recently announced that Israeli forces are preparing for imminent action near the northern border with Lebanon, amid escalating tensions in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.

Gallant informed troops stationed near the Gaza Strip border that additional forces are being deployed to the north of Israel. He emphasized that these forces are gearing up for imminent operations to strengthen the region. Gallant mentioned that the current troops near the Gaza area are relocating to the north in preparation for upcoming events. He also noted that reservists would be progressively discharged to ensure their readiness for future engagements.

Since the war between Hamas and Israel began on October 7, the border between Lebanon and Israel has experienced almost daily clashes involving the Israeli army and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed movement allied with Hamas.

Hezbollah took responsibility for at least 12 attacks on Israeli military positions near the border on Monday, utilizing Iranian-produced Falaq-1 and Burkan missiles. In response, the Israeli military conducted air strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. The Israeli army’s statement specified that these targets included Hezbollah’s infrastructure and an observation post in the southern Lebanese areas of Markaba, Taybeh, and Maroun al-Ras. Furthermore, the army reported that it had responded to several projectiles fired from Lebanon by targeting the launch sites and other locations within Lebanon.

Herzi Halevi, Israel’s army chief, earlier this month indicated that the likelihood of war along the northern border has significantly increased. He expressed uncertainty about the exact timing but suggested that the probability of conflict in the coming months is much higher than before.

According to an AFP count, more than 200 people, mostly members of Hezbollah, have been killed in southern Lebanon by Israeli actions since October 7. On the Israeli side, the conflict has resulted in the deaths of nine soldiers and six civilians, as reported by Israeli authorities.

On Monday, Gallant remarked that militants in Gaza were depleting their supplies and ammunition. However, he asserted that the campaign against Hamas is expected to last for several months.