“We are prepared for a long operation”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have intensified in recent hours the bombing of strategic points in southern Lebanonfocusing their attacks on transportation infrastructure.

The Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, declared this Sunday that he had , ordered the destruction of the bridges that cross the Litani Rivera key tactical demarcation point in the military history of the region.

Just a few hours after this announcement, Israeli forces bombed the Qasamiyeh Bridgenear the coastal city of Tyre.

This infrastructure had already been hit last Thursday in an operation which caused injuries to a press team from the Russian network Russia Today.

Although Israel argues that Hezbollah uses these crossings to transport fighters and weapons, these routes are also the main escape routes for Lebanese civilians who try to flee to the north of the country in search of safety.

The disabling of these river crossings could lead to fragment the territory and facilitate military control of the border area.

Faced with this situation, the Lebanese president, Joseph Aounformally condemned attacks against vital infrastructure.

As reported by the Lebanese National News Agency, Aoun called the destruction of the Qasamiyeh Bridge and other viaducts an “dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of sovereignty”.

For the Lebanese presidency, these actions represent a clear “prelude to a ground invasion”.

In his statement, Aoun made a urgent appeal to the international community to take immediate measures to dissuade Israel from continuing this offensive on the ground.

Direct threats

In an official statement issued this Sunday from Jerusalem, the head of the Israeli Army, Eyal Zamirraised the tone of the warning by stating that The offensive against Hezbollah is only in its initial phase.

According to the military command, Israel prepares for a “prolonged operation” in the neighboring countrywith the immediate intention of intensifying the ground offensive in the south.

Zamir stressed that, although the Lebanese front is currently an operational priority, Israel’s strategic efforts are focused on Iran.

“At the conclusion of the operation in Iran, Hezbollah will be alone and isolated,” he said after approving the new incursion plans.

According to data provided by the Army, in recent weeks more than 2,000 targets and dozens of weapons depots have been attacked, resulting in the death of hundreds of members of the Shiite group.

“Now we prepare to intensify ground operations and targeted attacks according to an organized plan,” the IDF chief explained, insisting that these actions are necessary to ensure the long-term security of the residents of northern Israel.

A tactical point

From a strategic point of view, The Litani River has historically functioned as a demarcation line in conflicts between both countries.

In 1978, during “Operation Litani”, and again in the 1982 invasion, the Israeli army used this channel as a boundary to establish military control zones.

The disabling of these river crossings usually precedes the deployment of land units, since it prevents the movement of supplies and reinforcements of Hezbollah militias towards the border.

The Gaza model

The Israeli strategy is not limited to transportation infrastructure. Minister Katz confirmed having instructed the army to accelerate the systematic destruction of homes in southern Lebanese villages that represent a threat to communities in northern Israel.

In his remarks, Katz suggested that The armed forces will apply the methods used in the Gaza Strip during the last two years of conflict.

This operational model, observed in towns such as Beit Hanoun and Rafah, involves the total depopulation and razing of vast areas of land to establish military-controlled security zones.

Lebanon fears that this “security zone” is actually the prelude to a new Israeli occupation similar to that of past decades.

Israel has forcibly displaced hundreds of thousands of people from a swath of 45 kilometers south.

According to official data, More than a million people have fled their homes across the country and the number of deaths already exceeds a thousand under a campaign that even reaches the capital, Beirut.

For its part, Israel insists its target is Hezbollah. However, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has criticized Israel’s actions in Lebanon.

This entity has come to affirm that some of these operations could constitute war crimes.