This would be a big step towards an all-out Middle East war. From Dave DeCamp at antiwar.com:
Administration officials tell CNN they expect a ground incursion in late spring or early summer
US officials believe that Israel is planning to launch a ground invasion into Lebanon in late spring or early summer if a diplomatic solution is not reached, CNN reported on Thursday.
“We are operating in the assumption that an Israeli military operation is in the coming months,” an unnamed senior Biden administration told the outlet. “Not necessarily imminently in the next few weeks but perhaps later this spring. An Israeli military operation is a distinct possibility.”
Israel and Hezbollah have been trading heavy fire across the border since October 7, and Israeli officials have been hinting at invading southern Lebanon if Hezbollah doesn’t move back from the border. But the administration official told CNN that an agreement that only pushes Hezbollah back won’t be enough for Israel.
The official said that Israel wants to go into Lebanon to “mow the grass” to destroy some of Hezbollah’s infrastructure. If an invasion doesn’t happen, the official said there would need to be some sort of buffer zone where either troops from Lebanon’s regular army or UN peacekeepers are deployed.
