8 Israeli Soldiers Killed Entering Lebanon

Many more injured- Ambushed by Hezbollah fighters. I’m old enough to remember the last time Israel entered Lebanon. It didn’t go well for Israel.

These deceased soldiers were Israeli special forces. Highly trained.

All Israel

Early reports indicate that IDF special forces units were the first to go in.

Earlier today this article had a different headline- “What an Israeli ground invasion could look like amidst an escalating war”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/10/02/israel-lebanon-invasion-hezbollah-war

Israeli military deaths in Lebanon raise questions over war’s scope 

I suspect the ambush, ensuing deaths and injuries factored into the headline change.

Archive.ph

Eight Israeli soldiers were killed Wednesday in Lebanon, deaths that could shape the depth and scope of an Israeli ground offensive against Hezbollah.

The Israel Defense Forces said the soldiers were killed in three separate incidents, with seven others seriously injured, but did not give further details. The statement came just hours after the military said it was engaged in “close-range” firefights inside Lebanese territory.

If the pace of Israeli casualties continues in Lebanon, it could shape the depth and scope of the offensive.

The IDF has described the ground operations in Lebanon so far as “limited, localized and targeted” raids within a few miles of the border.

But the large amount of tanks and thousands of troops now amassed in the north point to planning for a much larger foray than the one Israel has telegraphed.

I’ve no doubt Israel misrepresented their intentions. To their domestic populace. To the global community. However, other parties would be aware- The US, Russia, Iran, China…after all eyes are everywhere.

But as Netanyahu weighs future moves, he will need to navigate domestic calls for decisive military action in Lebanon, while also addressing concerns troops could get bogged down in skirmishes with fighters, and struggle to achieve the offensive’s bigger aims.

Troops have been bogged down in Gaza and now will be in Lebanon. Is decisive military action possible in this situation? What would decisive military action include?

But while the military has insisted it won’t stage a full-scale invasion, it has also ordered residents of 30 villages in southern Lebanon to flee. In orders posted to X on Tuesday, the Israeli military said people should leave an area about 30 miles north of the border.

Then, on Wednesday, the IDF announced that infantry and armored units were joining the fight, indications the military is preparing for a much larger ground campaign.

“The IDF and Israeli political echelons do not want to get stuck in a protracted operation that could boost Hezbollah, after it suffered several significant blows,” said Michael Horowitz, head of intelligence at Le Beck risk consultancy. “But that’s easier said than done.”

Where this will go is an unknown. But if we look back on previous fighting between Israel and Lebanon.. I can’t see how Israel is going to benefit from taking these actions. Of course, time will tell.

Israel has already killed an American citizen in Lebanon

“We are honored by my father’s sacrifice. In his last days, he chose to stay near the main hospital in Nabatieh to help the elderly, disabled, injured, and those who simply couldn’t financially afford to flee,” according to a statement shared with The Independent by his daughter Nadine Kamel Jawad on behalf of the family.

“He served as their guardian, provided them with food, mattresses, and other comforts, and anonymously paid off their debts,” she wrote. “I would often ask him if he was scared, and he repeatedly told me that we should not be scared because he is doing what he loves the most: helping others live in the land he loved the most.

“In his last moments, my father was calm. He emphasized our collective responsibility to help the oppressed,” Nadine wrote. “Even as he witnessed destruction from the missiles falling around him, his certainty in the importance of caring for community — in any and every capacity possible — remained at the forefront.”

Nadine said she spoke to her father on Tuesday as he fell from the impact of a nearby airstrike.

“He simply got back up, found his phone, and told me he needed to finish praying in case another strike hit him,” she wrote.

The Independent has requested comment from the Department of State.