Israel denies plans for long-term occupation of Lebanon - CNN
Israeli military (photo: Getty Images)
The Israeli side emphasizes that the army is conducting a limited operation in Lebanon, with no intention of maintaining a prolonged presence in southern Lebanese territory, reports CNN.
In a conversation with American journalists, a senior Israeli official stated that there will be no long-term occupation of southern Lebanon, and Jerusalem does not plan for a prolonged military presence in the country.
CNN's report notes that Jerusalem is making efforts to characterize the ground operation in southern Lebanon as limited in scope.
However, Israeli officials are unwilling to disclose the timeframe for this operation in Lebanon.
Additionally, Israeli officials have not provided information on how deeply IDF troops will enter Lebanese territory.
Israel's operation in Lebanon
On September 30, Israel announced that IDF forces had established a closed military zone in the northern part of the country near the border with Lebanon.
Later, a representative of the Israel Defense Forces urged residents of the Beirut suburbs to evacuate and announced impending strikes on Hezbollah targets. On the night of October 1, it was reported that Israeli aircraft had targeted strategic Hezbollah sites in the suburbs of the Lebanese capital.
Furthermore, the IDF stated that its troops had launched ground raids in southern Lebanon as part of the operation against Hezbollah. It was noted that ground forces were operating with the support of air and artillery strikes on military targets in the area.
Additionally, the US State Department stated that Israel had warned the US about a limited ground operation on Lebanese territory.
Reports from Lebanon indicated that at least six airstrikes had been carried out on the southern suburbs of Beirut, destroying several buildings.
