Israel calls up reserves as IDF chief says Lebanon ground offensive plans underway…& Hezbollah digs in for border blitz

ISRAEL is starting to call up its reserve troops as fears grow that a full-scale war invasion into Lebanon may be imminent.

A senior Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief has already announced they have been planning a ground offensive through the barrage of airstrikes in recent days.

Rex

Israel are starting to call up its reserve troops to head to Lebanon[/caption]

AFP

Airstrikes in southern Lebanon have reportedly been used by Israel to help with their incoming ground offensive[/caption]

Reuters

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi has already announced they have been planning a ground offensive in Lebanon[/caption]

Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said: “You can hear the planes above, we are attacking all day.

“Both to prepare the area for the possibility of your entry, and also to continue causing blows to Hezbollah.”

Halevi also sent out a chilling warning to the militant group telling them to expect a “very strong response” after they fired rockets into Israel.

It comes after fellow IDF commander Maj Gen Uri Gordon warned that a “new phase” of war is coming.

Part of this operation is said to involve the IDF making plans to activate two brigades consisting of up to 10,000 soldiers for “operational missions” in northern Lebanon.

The decision to prepare its troops reportedly came just hours after a Hezbollah-fired missile reached central Israel for the first time.

Hezbollah said it had targeted Israel’s Mossad spy agency on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.

The White House labelled the reports of the rocket attack as “deeply concerning”.

The IDF claims to have then quickly blown up the launcher the rocket was sent from – releasing black and white airstrike footage of the swift retaliation.

The Iran-backed terror group have reportedly been stocking up on their weaponry in preparation for an escalation.

Iran is said to have particularity helped to bolster its arsenal by supplying light weapons, anti-tank missiles and long-range unguided missiles to Hezbollah, report US and regional sources.

A former Hezbollah officer described the south as “boiling,” as he claimed “we have everything the Iranians have”, say Ynet News.

Reports also suggest that Hezbollah has been expanding its tunnel network in southern Lebanon to help relocate fighters across the country.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah hinted at these preparations last week when he described the coming days as a “historic opportunity” for his men to fight against Israel.

In a chilling declaration he said: “We’re waiting for their tanks. When they come, they’re welcome.”

Israel are looking to push Hezbollah terrorists away from the Lebanese border through the continuous strikes on the country.

They have been ordering “extensive waves” of attacks on “terrorist targets”.

They hit a huge number of Hezbollah targets on Monday and Tuesday which killed hundreds.

Many of the targets were civilian homes allegedly being used to store rockets.

This led to thousands being forced to evacuate their homes and seek safety near to the capital of Beirut.

US officials told CNN that Hezbollah has been significantly weakened by the attacks.

Israel has wiped out most of the terror group’s leadership in targeted strikes, including Ibrahim Aqil who was killed in an IDF blast on southern Beirut on Friday.

They say they have taken the militant group backwards by about 20 years.

EPA

Israel has also hit homes in the Lebanese capital Beirut[/caption]