A senior Israeli military commander said on Wednesday that Israel has more than doubled its military presence along the Lebanese border since March 1. He pointed out that these forces are searching homes in southern villages whose residents had previously been asked to evacuate by the army.
On the ground, heavy smoke was observed rising from towns in the south as a result of Israeli artillery shelling, while warplanes carried out air strikes on Beirut as part of operations targeting Hezbollah, in light of the latest developments in the ongoing confrontation.
In a related context, Israeli Channel 12 reported that the political leadership is inclined to issue orders to the army to control areas in southern Lebanon that are believed to be used to launch anti-armor weapons.
She explained that the plan includes occupying the “first line of villages” on the border, with the aim of preventing any threat to the settlements, without mentioning the specific names of these villages.
The channel quoted an “Israeli security source” as saying that this measure is being used as a pressure card, in the absence of any negotiating path, considering it the most effective option at the present time.
