A new phase witnessed the escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, represented by the Israeli army’s announcement, at dawn on Tuesday, of launching a “targeted and precise” ground operation against sites belonging to the party in southern Lebanon, based on the directives of the Israeli political level.
Hours after announcing the start of the operation, the Israeli army, on Tuesday, asked residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate about 30 villages “immediately.”
The Israeli army says that the operation targets “the party’s infrastructure,” which “poses an immediate and real threat to Israeli towns in the north.”
Litani…the story of a river that demarcates the borders of war 50 years ago
The Litani River in southern Lebanon has always been a geographical reference for determining military and logistical targets for the Israeli army, at least since 1978.
On the other hand, Hezbollah, classified as a terrorist organization in the United States, announced the targeting of military sites and Israeli soldiers on the border between the two countries.
Before the attack was launched, there were reports of Withdrawal of the Lebanese army From its southern border posts for a distance of several kilometers.
However, the Lebanese Army Command explained, in a statement, that the military units deployed in the south are repositioning some forward observation points within their designated sectors of responsibility, indicating continued cooperation and coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
The question now is about the Lebanese army’s position on the current developments, and whether it will engage in the battles taking place on the border.
Limited capacity
The Lebanese Army is deployed in southern Lebanon “with a number ranging between 4,000 to 5,000 soldiers,” according to what the head of the Middle East Center for Studies and Public Relations, retired Brigadier General Hisham Jaber, said, pointing out that there is “continuous coordination between the leadership of the Lebanese Army and Hezbollah, and cooperation with the forces.” UNIFIL.
Jaber stressed, in an interview with Al-Hurra website, that “the Lebanese army cannot confront any ground invasion due to the lack of capabilities. It suffers from a severe lack of armament, especially since it is prohibited from possessing anti-aircraft guns, which makes it forced to confront challenges with live flesh. “One of his soldiers was lost in the town of Wazzani yesterday, Monday.”
The Lebanese military expert, retired Brigadier General Naji Malaeb, also confirms that the Lebanese army suffers from “a lack of sufficient equipment and ammunition to confront Israel, and faces material and logistical obstacles. However, despite this, if it is exposed to any attack on its locations, it will respond, and this is its current ability.” To address the challenges that Lebanon is going through.”
It is noteworthy that Lebanon ranked 118th in the military power classification for the year 2024 according to the Global Firepower Foundation, while Israel ranked 17th. This classification depends on multiple factors, including the size of military equipment, the money spent, geography, and available resources.
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Malaeb points out that “in the year 2000, the Lebanese army prepared a defensive plan to confront any attempted incursion into Lebanon, known as the “retrograde combat plan.” He explained that “this plan depends on delaying the enemy’s movement, taking advantage of the geographical nature of Lebanon, which allows ambushes to be set up in forced areas.” For the passage of Israeli military vehicles.
The goal of this strategy, as Mulaeb explains, “is to exhaust the Israeli army as it advances, allowing the Lebanese political authority to move and demand a ceasefire, in addition to requesting international support through the Security Council concerned with the issue as a result of sending emergency peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon.”
Although the Lebanese Army is today suffering from a decline in capabilities as a result of the severe financial crisis hitting the country, Malaeb denies the validity of the reports circulating about the withdrawal of its members from their positions on the southern border, explaining that “six soldiers were transferred from advanced positions to their center, which cooperates with UNIFIL forces.” “In the face of heavy Israeli shells.”
The Washington Post quoted an unidentified American official as saying that the scope of the operation will be smaller than Israel’s war on the Hezbollah group in 2006, and will focus on the security of residential communities on the border.
Constant alert
On Monday, the Israeli army informed UNIFIL of its intention to carry out limited ground incursions into Lebanese territory. Despite this dangerous development, UNIFIL confirmed in a statement that “peacekeeping forces are still in their positions,” noting that they regularly modify their activities, stressing that they have contingency plans ready to be activated if the need arises.
The statement also stressed that “any crossing into Lebanon constitutes a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and violates Resolution 1701,” calling on all parties to retreat from any escalatory actions, warning that such moves will only lead to an escalation of violence and more bloodshed.
Until the report was prepared, the UNIFIL spokesman confirmed that “no incursion had been detected” in southern Lebanon.
Following the Israeli announcement of “violent fighting” in Lebanon, “UNIFIL” denies “observing an incursion so far”
On Tuesday, the Israeli army asked residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate about 30 villages “immediately,” hours after it announced the start of a ground operation against Hezbollah in the region, to which the spokesman for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) commented, saying that it “did not “No incursion is being monitored so far.”
According to what Malaeb says, “The Lebanese army has standing orders to remain on alert to confront any possible invasion by any country, but the current political authority, represented by a caretaker government, has not played its required role in assigning the army its tasks clearly, even though it is in line with Hezbollah’s demands.” “.
Malaeb points out that the Lebanese government prefers to rely on diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire and reconsider the implementation of Resolution 1701, rather than putting the army in the forefront, “which was evident during President Najib Mikati’s visit to New York, which resulted in an American-European-Arab offer.” “For a 21-day ceasefire, which means that the Lebanese government is seeking to resolve matters diplomatically.”
Malaeb believes that “it is necessary to issue a political decision to declare a state of emergency and assign the Lebanese army to publish statements through which the Lebanese people will be informed of the latest developments, not to leave the arena to civil groups or sectarian parties.”
For his part, Jaber stresses that “despite the challenges, the Lebanese army will continue to perform its duties until the last soldier.”
It is noteworthy that following the Israeli army’s start of a ground operation against Hezbollah targets on the border between the two countries, international preparations to evacuate nationals from Lebanon accelerated, as Britain, Canada and France announced, on Monday, urgent steps to evacuate their nationals from Lebanon amid escalating tensions in the region.
