2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon

2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon
Part of the Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present)
Date1 October 2024[a] – present
(1 day)
Location
Southern Lebanon
Status Ongoing
Belligerents
 Israel  Hezbollah
Commanders and leaders
Israel Benjamin Netanyahu
Israel Yoav Gallant
Israel Brig. Gen. Guy Levi[2]
Israel Col. Elad Tzuri[3]		 Hezbollah Naim Qassem
Hezbollah Hashem Safieddine
Units involved

 Israeli Ground Forces

 Israeli Air Force
Intelligence Directorate[9]

Hezbollah Imam Hussein Division[11]
Strength
12,000–14,000 (98th Division only)[12] 20,000–100,000[13]
Casualties and losses
2 soldiers killed
18 soldiers injured[14]		 Unknown

On 1 October 2024, Israel invaded Lebanon as part of an escalation in the ongoing Israel–Hezbollah conflict. On the same day, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) withdrew from the Blue Line. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) also said that parts of Israel's northern border are a closed military zones.[15]

According to the IDF, the operation seeks to root out Hezbollah's forces and infrastructure that pose a threat to civilian communities in northern Israel.[16][17][18] IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari stated that the Iran-backed group was preparing for an attack similar to Hamas' 7 October attacks, citing weapons caches and maps found in previous raids that reference a plan called "Conquer the Galilee."[16][19] Hezbollah denied that the Israeli military had entered Lebanon.[20]

The operation followed a series of major Hezbollah setbacks in September that degraded its capabilities[21][22] and devastated its leadership,[19][23] including the 17 and 18 September explosions of its handheld communication devices and the 20 September assassination of Ibrahim Aqil, commander of the elite Redwan Force.[24][25] IDF airstrikes also targeted Hezbollah's military bases, command centers, airstrips, and weapons caches across southern Lebanon.[26] These setbacks culminated in the 27 September assassination of Hassan Nasrallah and other senior commanders, including Ali Karaki, commander of Hezbollah in south Lebanon, in an airstrike that destroyed their underground headquarters in Beirut's Dahieh suburbs.[27][28]

  1. ^ Israel Defense Forces [@IDF] (30 September 2024). "In accordance with the decision of the political echelon, a few hours ago, the IDF began limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon. These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel. The IDF is operating according to a methodical plan set out by the General Staff and the Northern Command which IDF soldiers have trained and prepared for in recent months. The Israeli Air Force and IDF Artillery are supporting the ground forces with precise strikes on military targets in the area. These operations were approved and carried out in accordance with the decision of the political echelon. Operation "Northern Arrows" will continue according to the situational assessment and in parallel to combat in Gaza and in other arenas. The IDF is continuing to operate to achieve the goals of the war and is doing everything necessary to defend the citizens of Israel and return the citizens of northern Israel to their homes" (Tweet). Retrieved 1 October 2024 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ Bob, Yonah Jeremy (1 October 2024). "IDF division that broke Hamas in Khan Yunis spearheads Lebanon invasion". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 1 October 2024. The IDF's invasion of southern Lebanon late Monday night was led by Division 98 and its commander, Brig. Gen. Guy Levi, who also led the commando unit, the Egoz special forces unit, the paratroopers, and Brigade 7 of the Tank Corp.
  3. ^ a b Israel, David (1 October 2024). "7th Armored Brigade Commander: Not One More Day of Hezbollah Threatening our Homes and Communities". The Jewish Press.
  4. ^ a b c "Iran Update (30 September 2024)". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference 36bg was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "לוחמי אוגדה 98 מתמרנים בדרום לבנון: "אחרי חודשים רבים ברצועת עזה"" [Fighters of the 98th Division are maneuvering in southern Lebanon: "After many months in the Gaza Strip"]. Ynet. Ynet. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Israel war on Gaza, Lebanon updates: Iran fires missiles at Israel | Gaza News | Al Jazeera".
  8. ^ Ashkenazi, Avi (1 October 2024). "לא רק החזרת תושבי הצפון: לישראל יש מטרת על נוספת בתמרון בלבנון" [Not only the return of the residents of the north: Israel has another overarching goal in maneuvering in Lebanon]. www.maariv.co.il (in Hebrew). Maariv. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference MID was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference intunits was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference ImamHusseinDivision was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Gadzo, Mersiha; Uras, Umut (1 October 2024). "Hezbollah denies Israeli ground troops crossed into south Lebanon". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  13. ^ "What is Hezbollah and why is Israel attacking Lebanon?". BBC News. 3 November 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  14. ^ Siddiqui, Alastair McCready,Usaid (2 October 2024). "2 Israeli soldier killed, 18 wounded in Hezbollah ambush". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2 October 2024. Israeli media are now reporting two Israeli soldiers have been killed and 18 others wounded in clashes with Hezbollah fighters this morning on the border with Lebanon near the town of Odaisseh.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ Chao-Fong, Léonie; Belam, Martin; Gecsoyler, Sammy; Yerushalmy, Jonathan (30 September 2024). "Middle East crisis live: Israel launches small raids across border amid reports Lebanese army is pulling back". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Live updates: Israel begins 'limited' ground offensive against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon". AP News. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  17. ^ "IDF invasion of southern Lebanon meets no Hezbollah resistance". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 1 October 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  18. ^ Livni, Ephrat (10 January 2024). "Why Did Israel Send Troops Into Lebanon?". The New York Times.
  19. ^ a b Mackenzie, James; Gebeily, Maya; Lubell, Maayan (1 October 2024). "Israel says it's raiding Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon, group fires at Israel". Reuters.
  20. ^ "Lebanon latest: Israel launches ground invasion against Hezbollah". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  21. ^ "After the decapitation of Hizbullah, Iran could race for a nuclear bomb". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  22. ^ Ibish, Hussein (30 September 2024). "Hezbollah Got Caught in Its Own Trap". The Atlantic. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  23. ^ Nakhoul, Samia; Hafezi, Parisa; Lubell, Maayan (29 September 2024). "Nasrallah's killing reveals depth of Israel's penetration of Hezbollah". Reuters.
  24. ^ "Israeli strikes kill 492 in Lebanon's deadliest day of conflict since 2006". AP News. 23 September 2024. Archived from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  25. ^ "Hezbollah commander killed in Israeli airstrike was top military official on US wanted list". AP News. 20 September 2024. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  26. ^ Stroul, Dana (23 September 2024). "Israel and Hezbollah Are Escalating Toward Catastrophe". Foreign Affairs. ISSN 0015-7120. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  27. ^ "Hezbollah confirms its leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike". AP News. 28 September 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  28. ^ Mroue, Bassem; Lidman, Melanie (28 September 2024). "Hezbollah confirms its leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike". The Washington Post.


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