Smoke rising from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the village of Kfar Tibnit on May 11, 2026. (Credit: AFP)
BEIRUT — The Israeli military is reportedly preparing to expand its invasion of southern Lebanon, pending a political decision to do so, a military official told Israel’s Channel 12 on condition of anonymity.
"We are preparing for the possibility that the political echelon gives the green light to extend the operation in Lebanon, and we are organizing accordingly on the ground," the senior officer said.
According to him, some of the preparations are taking place in areas where the Israeli army is not permanently deployed, but which are inside the de facto "buffer zone" established on Lebanese territory along the border.
The channel also reported Hezbollah’s use of fiber-optic drones, which have killed several Israeli soldiers in recent weeks and cannot be intercepted by traditional methods. According to Channel 12, in the absence of "a fully effective operational solution at this stage," the Israeli army is focusing on gathering intelligence on the operators of these drones, "in order to eliminate them."
On Sunday, Israeli army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon were not tasked with disarming Hezbollah, but rather with "defending against anti-tank missiles and infiltrations, as well as creating the conditions enabling the Lebanese government to dismantle" the group.
He added that there is "no cease-fire" on the northern front (in Lebanon) and that the Israeli military has an "urgent" need for additional soldiers.
The war, which resumed on March 2 between Hezbollah and Israel, has killed more than 2,800 people in Lebanon, including many civilians who died in Israeli airstrikes, often carried out without warning.
