Israel’s latest strikes on Lebanon are in preparation for the possible entry of troops, an army chief says.
“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,” Herzi Halevi told troops.
“Today, Hezbollah expanded its range of fire, and later today, they will receive a very strong response. Prepare yourselves,” he said.
“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,” Herzi Halevi said.
He added that to “achieve that”, the military is “preparing the process of a maneuver, which means your military boots, your maneuvering boots, will enter enemy territory, enter villages that Hezbollah has prepared as large military outposts.”
More than 90,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon since Monday, the UN says.
Fifty-one people have been killed in Israeli air strikes on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
Earlier, Israel said it had intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Hezbollah towards Tel Aviv – the first such rocket to target the city
Hezbollah says it is resisting Israeli “aggression” and acting in solidarity with Palestinians. Israel says it aims to remove the threat from Hezbollah.
