West Jerusalem informed the US of a “limited incursion” in advance
Israeli soldiers work on tanks and armoured personnel carriers (APC) in northern Israel, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. © AP Photo/Leo Correa
Ground troops of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are preparing to cross the border into southern Lebanon, in what anonymous US officials described as “a limited ground incursion” aimed against Hezbollah.
The imminent invasion comes after more than a week of air and missile strikes that killed over 1,000 people in Lebanon. Among the dead were several senior Hezbollah officials, including the group’s long-time leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
Unconfirmed reports quoted by several news agencies have indicated that Lebanese troops retreated approximately 5km away from the Israeli border late on Monday, in anticipation of the attack.
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30 September 2024
19:27 GMT
EU foreign foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has called an emergency video conference of the bloc’s foreign ministers while visiting Mexico.
“The sovereignty of both Israel and Lebanon has to be guaranteed,” Borrell told reporters afterward. “Any further military intervention would dramatically aggravate the situation and has to be avoided.”
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- 19:26 GMT
Israel reportedly informed the US of the impending invasion earlier in the day. President Joe Biden told reporters at the White House that he was “more aware than you might know,” but that he wanted the IDF to stop.
“We should have a ceasefire now,” Biden said, before walking away.
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