As tensions between the two countries continue to rise Israel and LebanonJerusalem on Wednesday called up reserve brigades on its northern border and ordered them to be “ready” as Israel moves into a “new phase of the campaign.”
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), “large numbers” of reserve troops were called up for “operational activities in the northern region”.
Fox News Digital could not confirm the exact number of Israeli troops being called to the northern border, though government-sponsored public broadcast Israeli news outlet KAN reported at least two reserve brigades have been deployed.
“You can hear the sound of jets overhead. We have been attacking all day. This is to prepare the ground for your possible entry and to weaken Hezbollah,” said Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, chief of the general staff, speaking to his troops along the northern border. “Today, Hezbollah has increased the range of its shelling, and they will receive a very strong response later today.”
Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi visited the 7th Brigade on Israel’s northern border. (IDF Spokesperson Unit)
“Brace yourself. Today we will continue. We are not going to stop,” he said.
The IDF said the order to mobilize reserve forces would boost its combat operation against Hezbollah, as well as continue to secure the northern region, to ensure that Israelis can return to their homes in the area.
“We have entered a new phase of the operation and we must be fully prepared for maneuvers and action,” Northern Command chief Major General Ori Gordin said on Tuesday after assessing troops deployed along the border.
“We are now in Operation ‘Northern Arrow,’” he added. “Facing this, we need to change the security situation, and we must be fully prepared for maneuver and action.”
Israel has not formally announced any plans for a ground invasion of Lebanon, but security experts have been warning for weeks that this could be the next likely step, as Jerusalem steps up its air campaign against Hezbollah.
World leaders gather for 79th International Conference United Nations General Assembly The UNGA is scheduled to discuss some of the world’s most important issues, and Israel’s war in Gaza and its attacks in Lebanon dominated this week’s debate.
How US-backed UN resolution failed to stop Hezbollah’s terror takeover: ‘Bilateral failure’
An explosion occurs during Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, as seen from Zibkin, Lebanon on August 25, 2024, in this still image obtained from a video. (Reuters via Reuters TV)
Earlier this month, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said that benjamin netanyahu However, as fighting escalated on the northern border last week, it became unclear whether he would actually attend the top meeting in New York.
Netanyahu’s office confirmed on Wednesday that the prime minister will leave for a previously planned meeting on Thursday, rather than this evening, and will address the UN General Assembly on Friday and intends to return to Israel on Saturday.
It is unclear why he postponed his departure, though it coincides with reports on Wednesday that the entire political-security cabinet would now meet this evening – a move that suggests proposals may be put forward that will require a vote, KAN reports.
Mourners chant slogans during the funeral of Hezbollah fighters killed in an Israeli attack on Friday, in a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Netanyahu’s office also confirmed Wednesday morning that the prime minister “would consult with security officials to discuss the continuation of attacks in Lebanon.”
By Wednesday afternoon, Israel had struck more than 280 Hezbollah targets in a single-day period and was continuing to attack weapons storage facilities and other targets.
The barrage of missiles came after Hezbollah claimed it had fired a ballistic missile towards the Mossad intelligence agency’s headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Click here to get the Fox News app
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant oversee a meeting at the Israeli Defense Ministry following the IDF’s advance against Hezbollah on August 25. (Israel Government Press Office)
The missile, which was intercepted, was fired by the terror network on the day Israel killed Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Muhammad Kubaisi in an airstrike in Beirut.
Gunfire continued on Monday in Lebanon, which saw its deadliest day of conflict since 2006. 500 people were killed, According to local authorities, these include more than 90 women and children.
