Israel's warning: "We will not stop"

Israel
Israeli troops prepare for ground invasion
Tens of thousands on the run in Lebanon

Martin Palmborg,

Amanda Hällsten

Updated 21.33 | Published 16.52

Israel urges its troops to prepare for a possible ground invasion of Lebanon.

At the same time, they call in their reserve brigades.

- Later today they will receive a very strong response, says Israel's Commander-in-Chief Herzi Halevi.

Quick version

• Israel is calling on its troops to prepare for a possible ground invasion of Lebanon and has called up two reserve brigades, with the aim of striking Hezbollah.
• The past 24 hours in Lebanon have been the bloodiest in almost 20 years, with 558 dead in Israeli attacks in one day and over 90,000 people displaced, many of the victims being civilians, including children and the elderly, reports al-Jazeera.
•  Israel's military objective is to destroy Hezbollah's infrastructure and enable the return of the residents of northern Israel. Airstrikes against Lebanon will continue to prepare the ground for a possible offensive.

The call to the Israeli army to prepare for a ground invasion came earlier on Wednesday.

Israel's army chief Ori Gordin believes that it should be aimed at Hezbollah, writes Reuters.

- We have to get ready for a ground offensive, says Ori Gordin.

During the day, the Israeli army has called in two reserve brigades to participate.

"This will enable continued battles against the terrorist organization Hezbollah, the defense of the state of Israel and create conditions for the residents of northern Israel to be able to return to their homes," the Israeli military wrote in a statement, according to Reuters.

The country's commander-in-chief, General Herzi Halevi, announced later in the day that the airstrikes against Lebanon will continue.

- We have been attacking all day. This is both to prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue to humiliate Hezbollah, he said according to the  BBC reports.

According to him, the purpose of the attacks is to destroy Hezbollah's infrastructure.

 

Smoke after bombings in Lebanon on Wednesday. Photo: Hussein Malla / AP

 

Israel's Commander-in-Chief Herzi Halevi. Photo: Gil Cohen-Magen / AP

Bloodiest day in almost 20 years

The past 24 hours in Lebanon have been the bloodiest since 2006.

On Monday alone, 558 people were killed in Israeli attacks, al-Jazeera reports.

Many of them are civilians – children, women and the elderly. In addition to the large number of people killed and injured in the Israeli attacks, 90,000 have been forced to flee their homes.

But Israel warns of continued attacks.

- Today we will continue, we will not stop; we continue to attack and strike at them everywhere. The goal is very clear – to safely return the inhabitants of the north, says Herzi Halevi.

- You must go in, destroy the enemy there and destroy their infrastructure, he also says.

USA: Working to bring about a ceasefire

The US is working feverishly to negotiate a truce between Israel and Hezbollah, AFP reports.

"We are holding discussions with Israelis as well as other countries to try to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah," an American official told AFP.

The Pentagon does not believe that an Israeli ground invasion in Lebanon will take place on Wednesday.

"It doesn't look like anything is imminent," Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said, according to AFP.

            

People on the run at the border between Syria and Lebanon. Photo: Omar Sanadiki / AP