Israeli Forces Enter Hezbollah’s Underground Tunnels Ahead of Likely Ground Assault– freebeacon.com
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Israeli forces have been quietly conducting cross-border raids in southern Lebanon, entering Hezbollah’s sophisticated underground tunnel network to prepare for a likely ground assault on the terror group’s remaining strongholds.
The raids, first reported in the Wall Street Journal, are part of a broader effort to kneecap Hezbollah ahead of a ground assault teased by Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant on Monday. President Joe Biden responded with dismay, saying he would be “comfortable with [Israel] stopping.”
“The elimination of [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah is a very important step, but it is not the final one. We will employ all the capabilities at our disposal,” Gallant told “infantry and tank brigades” positioned near the Lebanese border. “We will use all the means that may be required—your forces, other forces, from the air, from the sea and on land.”
Israeli special forces are said to be using the “targeted” raids to collect intelligence as they prepare for the full-blown assault, which would aim to destroy the Radwan Forces, Hezbollah’s own special forces unit, along Israel’s northern border.
Hezbollah’s tunnel system is key to moving militants and arms closer to Israeli territory. By dismantling these networks, Israel is setting the stage for its troops to clear out any remaining Hezbollah outposts that pose a threat to the Jewish state’s northern communities. Upward of 50,000 Israelis have been forced from their homes since Hezbollah began lobbing missiles and drones at towns along the northern border in the wake of Oct. 7.
“If you’re going to tell people it’s safe to come home, it better be safe to come home,” said Richard Goldberg, a former White House National Security Council member and regional analyst. “Getting rid of tunnel infrastructure, clearing out missile stockpiles and ensuring no one ever sees a Hezbollah flag from their window ever again is the only way to give people the confidence to return.”
