The Israeli military is preparing for a ground offensive in Lebanon, starting with a “strong response” to a ballistic missile attack on Tel Aviv launched by Lebanon’s Iranian proxy Hezbollah earlier in the day, IDF Chief of General Staff LTG Herzi Halevi told soldiers and officers in the 7th Brigade now stationed at the northern border.
The missile, fired at Tel Aviv at 6:30 am Wednesday morning, was intercepted by the David’s Sling aerial defense system.
Halevi made his remarks during his visit to the brigade during a military exercise, together with Northern Command commanding officer Ori Gordin, the commanding officer of the 98th Division, the commanding officer of the Ground Forces Training Center, the commanding officer of the 7th Brigade and additional commanders.
“You hear the jets overhead; we have been striking all day. This is both to prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah.
“Today, Hezbollah expanded its range of fire, and later today, they will receive a very strong response. Prepare yourselves,” Halevi told the soldiers.
“Today, we will continue — we are not stopping; we keep striking and hitting them everywhere.
“The goal is very clear; to safely return the residents of the north. To achieve that, we are preparing the process of a [ground] maneuver, which means your military boots, your maneuvering boots, will enter enemy territory, enter villages that Hezbollah has prepared as large military outposts, with underground infrastructure, staging points, and launchpads into our territory and carry out attacks on Israeli civilians,” he said.
“Your entry into those areas with force, your encounter with Hezbollah operatives, will show them what it means to face a professional, highly skilled, and battle-experienced force,” he said.
“You are coming in much stronger and far more experienced than they are. You will go in, destroy the enemy there, and decisively destroy their infrastructure,” Halevi declared.
“These are the things that will allow us to safely return the residents of the north afterward.”
