Less than 2 miles from the Lebanese border, signs of Israel’s expected ground offensive into southern Lebanon are all around. Israeli artillery units are firing into southern Lebanon every few minutes, sending one percussive boom after another reverberating through the valley near the Lebanese border.
Soldiers have blocked off an area in northeastern Israel closest to the Lebanese border, declaring it a “closed military zone.” Near the highway leading to that closed military zone, roughly 100 tanks and other military vehicles are parked in a field — having just arrived in recent days.
Israeli officials have yet to say whether a ground offensive is imminent, but previously reported that Israeli special forces have already begun carrying out raids in Lebanon against Hezbollah positions along the border. US officials say Israel could imminently launch what they described as a limited ground incursion into southern Lebanon.
