Israel has notified the United States (US) that it is currently conducting “limited operations” against Hezbollah in Lebanon, the State Department announced late Monday.
“We have been advised that they are currently conducting limited operations targeting Hezbollah infrastructure near the border,” spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.
He added that the US administration was involved in talks with the Israelis.
“I’ll let Israel talk about its military operations,” Miller said when asked about the “limited operation.”
When asked by a reporter how the US defines a “limited operation”, Miller said it is the Israeli definition, not the US definition.
Regarding civilian casualties in Israeli attacks in Lebanon, Miller said that the US “absolutely” does not want civilian infrastructure to be targeted, adding that Hezbollah’s goals are legitimate for the Israeli military.
“We support attacks on Hezbollah,” Miller said, but he repeated previous statements by the US administration, calling for diplomacy in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and saying the US would not abandon diplomacy.
Israeli military vehicles began moving towards the Lebanese border amid announcements of ground attacks. According to eyewitnesses, the sounds of military vehicles were heard moving towards the town of Abel al-Kamh, opposite the border settlement of al-Vezzani in southern Lebanon, which the Israeli army is bombarding with artillery fire.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited armored units in the north of the country this morning and hinted at a ground attack on Lebanon.
Hezbollah and Israel have been at war across the border since the start of Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip, which killed nearly 41,600 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on October 7 last year.
Israel has been carrying out massive airstrikes in Lebanon since September 23, killing more than 960 people and injuring more than 2,770 others.
The international community warns that Israeli attacks on Lebanon could escalate into a wider regional war.
