Ministers in Israel’s Political-Security Cabinet in the early hours of Tuesday morning local time agreed on an operational strategy for Israel’s “limited” invasion into Lebanon, but tensions were high after officials were reportedly frustrated that the news of the operation had been leaked hours before they even met.
An unnamed U.S. security official confirmed to Fox News and other outlets Monday morning that a “limited” invasion into Lebanon was imminent. And when questioned by reporters on it later, President Biden appeared to confirm the claims and said, “I’m more aware than you might know.”
But when asked if he was comfortable with the operational plans, he said, “I’m comfortable with them stopping. We should have a cease-fire now.”
An Israeli tank manoeuvres in northern Israel near the Israel-Lebanon border, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)
ISRAEL LAUNCHES LIMITED GROUND OPERATIONS IN LEBANON AS WAR AGAINST HEZBOLLAH, TERRORIST GROUPS CONTINUE
Similarly, during a U.S. State Department briefing later in the day, spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters, “They have been informing us about a number of operations.”
“They have, at this time, told us that those are limited operations focused on Hezbollah infrastructure near the border. But we’re in continuous conversations with them about it,” he added.
It is unclear if Miller was speaking about future operations or ongoing operations as reports surfaced earlier on Monday suggesting that Israeli special forces had been engaging in cross-border raids for months.
President Joe Biden speaks to reporters as he departs the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington after speaking about the federal response efforts for Hurricane Helene, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Fox News Digital could not confirm which Israeli ministers were frustrated and specifically who in the U.S. their ire was directed at.
But it wasn’t only U.S. officials the Israeli ministers were reportedly frustrated with, according to local media outlet YNET News.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were also a source of exasperation after a spokesperson for the IDF reportedly referenced the operation ahead of the minister’s debate, though local reporting appeared to have been updated following requests by IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, who called on outlets not to report on “rumors.”
Smoke rises over Beirut’s southern suburbs after a strike, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Sin El Fil, Lebanon, October 1, 2024. (REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh)
ISRAEL’S GROUND INVASION INTO LEBANON IMMINENT AS CABINET APPROVES NEXT PHASE OF THE WAR
“In recent hours there have been many reports and rumors about IDF activity on the Lebanese border. We ask that no reports be circulated about the activities of the forces,” Hagari said on X ahead of the ministerial meeting.
“Stick to the official reports only and do not spread irresponsible rumors,” he added.
An IDF tank fires during exercises close to the Lebanese border, Sept 30, 2024 (IDF Spokesman’s Unit)
However, following the meeting, the IDF released a statement confirming that the IDF had begun “limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon.”
“These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel,” the IDF added.
Israeli shelling hit an area in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
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Sources told Fox News earlier on Monday that the operation was set to be “limited” in scope and would be quicker than the 2006 operation Israel conducted in Lebanon, which lasted 34 days and saw some 1,191 deaths and 4,409 injured, a third of which were women and children. Israel also reported that 43 civilians were killed and 997 were injured.
Axios previously reported that Israel did not give the U.S. advance notice on the exploding beepers operation, reporting, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin as the pagers started to explode in Lebanon. Following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told reporters, “The United States was not involved in Israel’s operation,” noting there was “no advance warning” from the Israelis.
The State Department did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.