minister in Israel’s political-security cabinet An operational strategy for Israel’s “limited” invasion of Lebanon was agreed on Tuesday morning local time, but tensions ran high after officials were reportedly disappointed that news of the operation leaked just hours before they were to meet. It was done.
An unnamed US security official confirmed to Fox News and other outlets on Monday morning that a “limited” invasion of Lebanon was imminent. And when later questioned by reporters, President Biden seemed to confirm the claims, saying, “I’m more aware than you probably know.”
But when asked if he was comfortable with the operational plans, he said, “I am comfortable with them stopping. We should have a ceasefire now.”
An Israeli tank maneuvers in northern Israel near the Israel-Lebanon border on Monday, September 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)
Similarly, during a U.S. State Department briefing later in the day, spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters, “They are keeping us informed about a number of operations.”
“At this time, they have told us that they are having limited operations focused on Hezbollah infrastructure near the border. But we are in constant dialogue with them about this,” he said.
It is unclear whether Miller was speaking about future operations or ongoing operations as reports emerged earlier Monday that Israeli special forces had been engaged in cross-border raids for months.
President Joe Biden speaks to reporters as he leaves the Roosevelt Room of the White House after speaking about federal response efforts to Hurricane Helene, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Fox News Digital could not confirm which Israeli ministers were disappointed and who specifically their anger was directed at in the US.
But it included not only American officials but also Israeli ministers. reportedly disappointedAccording to local media outlet YNET News.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were also a source of frustration after an IDF spokesperson reportedly made reference to the operation before the ministerial debate, although it appears that local reporting was carried out at the request of IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. Updated after , who called outlets not to report on “rumors.”
Smoke rises over the southern suburbs of Beirut after an attack, as seen from Sin el Fil, Lebanon, October 1, 2024, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces. (Reuters/Amr Abdullah Dalsh)
Israel’s ground attack on Lebanon imminent as soon as cabinet approves next phase of war
“In recent hours there have been numerous reports and rumors about IDF activity on the Lebanese border. We request that no reports be disseminated about the forces’ activities,” Hagari said at the X before the ministerial meeting.
“Stick to official reports only and do not spread irresponsible rumours,” he said.
An IDF tank is fired upon during exercises near the Lebanese border, September 30, 2024 (IDF Spokesperson Unit)
However, after the meeting, The IDF issued a statement Confirming that the IDF had “launched limited, localized and targeted ground strikes based on accurate intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon.”
“These targets are located in villages near the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel,” the IDF said.
Israeli shelling strikes an area in southern Lebanon, as seen from northern Israel, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
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Sources told Fox News earlier Monday that the operation was “limited” in scope and would be faster than Israel’s 2006 operation in Lebanon, which lasted 34 days and resulted in about 1,191 deaths and 4,409 injuries. , of which one third were. Women and children. Israel also informed That 43 civilians were killed and 997 were injured.
Axios previously reported that Israel did not give the US advance notice on the explosive beepers operation, reporting that Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant called Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as pagers began to explode in Lebanon. Following the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters, “The United States was not involved in Israel’s operation,” adding that there was “no advance warning” from the Israelis.
The State Department did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
