The Lebanese army has begun mobilizing troops to the country's border with Israel, Arabic-language media reported Tuesday, saying the decision was made in wake of an Israeli military operation on its side of the border.
The IDF announced Tuesday that it had launched an operation to expose and neutralize cross-border terror tunnels dug by Hezbollah under the Israel-Lebanon border. The military did not disclose how many tunnels snake into Israeli territory from Lebanon nor how long the operation, code-named "Northern Shield," would last.
The Israeli military issued a statement on its Arabic-language social media channels, warning Lebanese soldiers and Hezbollah operatives against approaching the security fence or the tunnel grid.
A statement by the Lebanese army said that the troops sent to the frontier were tasked with monitoring Israeli activity and ensuring it does not compromise Lebanese sovereignty.
Some media reports said that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah would give a special televised address on Tuesday evening, but the Shiite terrorist group has made no official announcement to that effect.
Nasrallah warned Monday that any Israeli attack on Lebanese soil would meet "inevitable retaliation" by his organization.
Still, Israeli and Lebanese experts similarly surmised Tuesday that Hezbollah would likely opt to contain Israeli activities on the border, as long as they did not infringe on Lebanese sovereignty, to avoid a rapid security escalation.
Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Maj. Gen. Stefano Del Col told the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen TV network that he was "getting updates on the operation from the Israelis," adding that "like the Lebanese army, we are monitoring this activity."
In comments made several months ago, Lebanese Armed Forces Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun said his troops "will use every available means to confront any potential Israeli aggression, no matter the cost."
