Barran Press
On the evening of September 30, 2024, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced that the next phase of the conflict with Lebanese Hezbollah "will begin soon."
This statement was made during a meeting with local authority leaders in communities near the Israeli-Lebanese border, as reported by his office.
Gallant emphasized, "The next phase in the war against Hezbollah will commence shortly and will be a crucial factor in altering the security situation. It will allow us to achieve an important part of our objectives: returning the residents to their homes."
He further clarified, "A month ago, I made it unequivocally clear that we must set another goal for the war, which is to return the northern residents to their homes... We will change the situation and bring the residents back." He noted that the Israeli military operations in Lebanon are part of this broader objective.
Gallant detailed, "This is how we are shifting the focus of the Israeli military from Gaza to the north—targeting (Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan) Nasrallah, destroying missiles and rockets, and striking key officials. This relies on intelligence and impressive operational successes so far."
He added that these actions follow Hezbollah's "crossing the red line," stating they will "benefit from success to create a different situation so that northern residents can live as they should for decades."
Earlier on Monday, Gallant hinted at a potential ground invasion of southern Lebanon. Foreign media reports suggested that the Israeli military plans a "limited" ground operation aimed at pushing Hezbollah’s Radwan forces beyond the Litani River.
In response, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres rejected any Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon, as stated by his spokesperson on the same day.
Stephan Dujarric told reporters, "We do not want to see any kind of ground invasion."
In recent weeks, Israel has intensified its operations in Lebanon, executing multiple targeted assassinations of key Hezbollah leaders, including its secretary-general.
Since September 23, Israel has launched its "most intense and extensive" attack on Lebanon since hostilities with Hezbollah began nearly a year ago, resulting in at least 962 fatalities, including women and children, and 2,778 injuries, according to Anadolu Agency's monitoring of Lebanese authorities' data, amidst fears of a regional war.
Lebanese and Palestinian factions, particularly Hezbollah, have engaged in daily shelling exchanges with the Israeli military across the Blue Line since October 8, 2023, demanding an end to the war Israel has waged with U.S. support on Gaza since October 7.