By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News
On the second day of Israel’s military incursion into Lebanon, infantry and armored units joined paratroopers and commandos who had crossed over the border the day before.
At the same time, Israel reported that eight of its solders had been killed and a number of others wounded in fighting with Hezbollah, which says it targeted Israeli troops in three villages in southern Lebanon.
There were still plenty of questions but few answers about Israel’s intentions in its first invasion of Lebanon in 18 years. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says the attack is aimed at destroying Hezbollah tunnels and other infrastructure near the border – and there are no plans to target Beirut or other major Lebanese cities. It described the operation as “limited, localized, and targeted ground raids.”
The IDF said that the 36th Division, which includes both infantry and armored units, was joining the 98th Paratroopers Division, which entered Lebanon early Tuesday. Artillery units and air force attack planes are providing cover, according to the military.
Israel also confirmed that in the last year, its special forces have been conducting regular incursions into south Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Israeli air force jets continued their attacks on southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut. The targets were said to be “munitions production sites and other terrorist infrastructures in the area.”
And, perhaps in a sign of things to come, the IDF issued a new evacuation order to two dozen more Lebanese towns, and accused Hezbollah of using residents as human shields to carry out attacks.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear who he sees as the real enemy. In a video message, Netanyahu said that Israel is in “the middle of a tough war against Iran’s axis of evil which seeks to destroy us.”
According to CNN, some of the missiles launched from Iran Tuesday night hit several Israeli military bases but caused no major damage.
President Biden said the US remains “fully, fully, fully supportive” of Israel. At the same time, he told reporters he does not support a potential Israeli attack on nuclear sites in Iran.
While Hezbollah has suffered major losses in the last few weeks – including the deaths of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah and other high-ranking officials – the Iranian-backed organization is vowing to put up stiff resistance.
“War is rounds. And if you have gotten us in the first round through assassinations and destruction, we are only in the first round,” said Hezbollah spokesman Mohammad Afif. “Our forces are at the utmost readiness for confrontation, heroism and sacrifice.”
