Cairo: Hani Kamal El-Din
The start of Israel’s ground operation against the Lebanese Hezbollah movement has caused a rift in the US government. This is reported by the American newspaper Politico, citing sources.
“The decision to focus on Hezbollah has caused a rift in the US government, causing opposition from people in the Pentagon,” the newspaper reported.
In addition to the US Department of Defense, the escalation of the conflict between Lebanon and Israel was not supported by the US State Department or intelligence. The aforementioned departments believe that the start of Israel’s ground operation in Lebanon will lead to the involvement of US troops in the conflict.
At the same time, senior White House officials supported Israel’s move to develop the operation against Lebanon. They privately told Israel that Washington supports the increased military pressure on Hezbollah.
On the night of October 1, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the start of limited ground raids in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah.
The Israeli army announced “localized, targeted ground raids” in villages located close to the border that pose an immediate threat to Israeli population centers.
The ground operation was preceded by massive air strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanese territory. According to The New York Times, the operations are being carried out by small commando groups, but if necessary, larger forces, which have been concentrated on the border in recent days, can be brought into Lebanon.
