The German newspaper Bild reported on Monday that Israel is planning to invade Lebanon in the second half of July as Israeli forces and Hezbollah continue to trade fire across the border.
The report, which cited diplomatic sources, said Israel would launch the assault unless Hezbollah stopped firing on northern Israel. But Israeli officials have made clear that’s not enough for them as they are demanding Hezbollah withdraw from the border to areas beyond the Litani River.
The Litani River is about 18 miles north of the Israel-Lebanon border, and Israel has said a Hezbollah withdrawal from the area is necessary for Israelis who have evacuated from northern Israel to return to their homes.
Hezbollah’s position is that it won’t stop firing on northern Israel unless there is a ceasefire in Gaza, while Israeli officials have threatened to escalate in Lebanon if they reach a truce with Hamas.
The US claims it’s working hard to prevent an escalation in Lebanon but has conveyed it would support Israel in the event of an invasion. The US deployed an amphibious assault ship to the region last week to show support for Israel in the stand-off and prepare for potential evacuations of Americans from Lebanon.
Israeli media has reported that the Israeli military likely couldn’t handle opening a second front in Lebanon while maintaining military operations in Gaza, which suggests Israel could be looking for strong support from the US for the war in the north.