Less than a mile from the Israel-Lebanon border, the fog begins to lift on Israeli intentions as ground troops pour in to start what is a “clean up” of the Hizbollah from the area between the border and the Litani river, 20-25 km into Lebanese territory. Objective: Reach river Litani.

The Israeli Army is not an army in doubt when it talks about the Litani line. Hectic fighting was underway 1 km into Lebanese territory where six Hizbollah men were reported killed in the latest update.

It is this zone between the border and the Litani river where the Hizbollah is believed to have entrenched itself, attacking northern Israeli towns like Kiriyat Shmone at will.

“The Cabinet has cleared us for extended ground operations into Lebanon. Air Force will support us in this,” Israeli Defence Forces spokesperson Lt Col Olivier Rafowicz told The Indian Express.

Clearly, the war against Lebanon has entered its next stage for Israel which is looking to mark out the zone which can be taken over by the International Stabilization Force being pushed diplomatically by the US. The operational link-up with diplomatic efforts is evident on the ground as four raids have already been carried out by Israelis into Lebanese territory in the last 24 hours.

Israeli officials are careful not to phrase this as a campaign of occupation. According to official sources, the aim is to secure this critical area, “clean it up” of all Hizbollah cadre, level all bunkers and create a safe zone which can be a good starting point for the UN sponsored forces. Later, they add, the Lebanese Army can be positioned in this zone.

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