Israeli army announces Iranian missile attack is over, damage apparently limited – rts.ch

The Israeli army announced on the night of Monday to Tuesday that ground troops had crossed the border to carry out fighting against Hezbollah in villages in southern Lebanon. In a press release, she specified that these operations, launched Monday evening, were “limited, localized and targeted”, targeting “terrorist targets and infrastructure” of Hezbollah. However, the Israeli army has not revealed the number of soldiers involved in the incursion.

Questioned in La Matinale de la RTS, the editor-in-chief of the Swiss Military Review Alexandre Vautravers indicates that Israel emphasizes the “limited” nature of the operation, while recalling the constraints imposed by international law and the International public opinion, particularly in the United States, where support for such actions appears to be eroding.

An “opportunity” to degrade Hezbollah’s capabilities

Hezbollah, for its part, declared that it had “targeted” Israeli soldiers moving near the Lebanese border during the night from Monday to Tuesday. “Since the conflicts of 2005-2006, Hezbollah has established itself as a well-structured, highly trained paramilitary organization with solid experience in Lebanon and Syria.” Alexandre Vautravers believes that Israel sees in the current situation, where Hezbollah appears weakened by recent actions, an “opportunity” to quickly degrade its capabilities.

In southern Lebanon, the Lebanese army has repositioned its troops in the south of the country bordering northern Israel, according to a military official. “It leaves the path open to the Israeli army, because it is not able to directly oppose Israeli raids.”

The UN also reported that, due to the “intensity of the fighting”, its peacekeepers deployed in the region could no longer patrol. However, according to Alexandre Vautravers, their presence remains essential, in particular to provide neutral and objective observations in the calmer phases to come. He recalls that, since 1947-1948, UN forces have often been considered ineffective in terms of direct intervention, but their role as observers remains crucial.