Israel calls up reservists for likely ground offensive in Lebanon

Israeli army chief General Herzi Halevi on Wednesday told his soldiers that the air attacks on Lebanon would continue in order to destroy Hezbollah’s infrastructure and to prepare the way for a possible ground offensive, reports Al Jazeera.

Earlier, troops held exercises simulating ground combat in Lebanon, the military said, according to CNN.

“You hear the jets overhead; we have been striking all day,” the Israeli army chief told troops on the border with Lebanon, according to a statement from the military.

“This is both to prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah.”

Earlier, on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the military is calling up two reserve brigades over its conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“In accordance with the assessment of the situation in the IDF, it was decided to recruit two reserve brigades for operational missions in the northern sector,” the military said in a statement, according to CNN.

“Their recruitment will allow the continuation of the fighting effort against the terrorist organization Hezbollah, the protection of the citizens of the State of Israel and the creation of the conditions for the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes.

The military last week said that it was moving the elite 98th division from Gaza to northern Israel. A brigade typically consists of several thousand troops.

The commander of the IDF’s Northern Command, Major General Uri Gordin, said Tuesday that the operation in Lebanon had reached a “different phase.”

“We need to be very strongly prepared to enter the maneuver and into action,” he said while visiting troops of the 7th Brigade in northern Israel.

The Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday also hinted at the possibility of ground maneuvers.

“You understand that the moment may come when we give an order and the system will have to move forward, so preparations must be made,” he said during a visit to army camps.