Israeli security forces inspect the area hit by rockets fired from southern Lebanon in the northern Israeli border town of Kiryat Shmona on Feb. 13, 2024. (Credit: Jalaa Marey/AFP)
Preparing shelters in underground parking lots, transferring food: In recent weeks, the Israeli army's home front command has launched "Operation Stable Anchor," aimed at preparing the logistics for a potential all-out war with Hezbollah, as reported on Sunday by the Israeli media Ynet News, part of the Yediot Aharonot group. This information was picked up by several titles in the Israeli press, at a time when numerous media reports are circulating on preparations for a possible Israeli offensive against southern Lebanon and negotiations on a truce in Gaza, and possibly southern Lebanon, is stalling.
Beds, food, transport
One of the main missions of the home front is to prepare the civilian population for a possible conflict. According to the newspaper, which quotes a military official familiar with the preparations, as part of this "emergency" operation, this branch of the Israeli army is setting up underground parking lots in which "tens of thousands of Israelis who have no shelters or secure rooms" can take refuge in the event of war. In particular, people living in old buildings or at a greater distance from public shelters could take shelter in these spaces for periods ranging from "a few hours to a few days." Dozens of such shelters have been planned over the past two months, according to the Israeli army's plan, and invitations to tender have been issued by the authorities to "provide the logistical solutions needed to implement this plan", including transferring citizens, maintaining the shelters and transporting non-perishable food and water. The Israeli army official quoted mentions "80,000 packages of food" purchased, as well as beds and chairs. The solution of equipping shelters was preferred to other alternatives, such as setting up tents in safer, more remote areas or renting hotel rooms, which are in short supply, reports Ynet News.
As part of these preparations and the ongoing clashes along the border, the head of the Israeli army's Northern Command, Major General Uri Gordin, spoke over the weekend with local officials in northern Israel, to whom he said he was "preparing contingency plans to launch an attack on Lebanon." He reiterated his commitment to ensuring that residents of northern Israel could return to their homes.
Media pressure
Israel has repeatedly said that it is trying to find a diplomatic solution for residents of northern Israel to return home after tens of thousands of civilians have been evacuated from at-risk areas since the start of the war. Israeli officials have also repeatedly stated that if they cannot achieve this through diplomatic means, they will opt for military means.
In recent days, press reports, notably in the Lebanese daily al-Akhbar, have mentioned an ultimatum of March 15 for an Israeli ground offensive in southern Lebanon. However, this deadline was denied by the Israeli army, according to several media outlets. And, on Sunday, the heads of Israel's northern regional councils demanded that the government provide "a clear definition of the war's objectives and timetable," according to the daily Haaretz.
All this media pressure comes at a time when, according to the caretaker Lebanese prime minister, US envoy Amos Hochstein, who shuttled between Beirut and Tel Aviv last week, has "drawn up a proposal and put it on the table" for a resolution of the conflict along the border. Against this backdrop, Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri asserted in an interview with the Lebanese channel al-Jadeed on Saturday evening that no de-escalation agreement was possible in southern Lebanon as long as the guns continued to rumble in Gaza. "There will be no solutions until the truce is effective," he said. "Once there is a truce, [US envoy Amos] Hochstein will have a role. So far, there's nothing," he said, stressing that Qatar had "encouraged discussion" of the emissary's proposals.
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.