The IDF is preparing for the possibility of several days of fighting in Lebanon as forces continue operations against Hezbollah infrastructure in the Ali al-Taher and Beaufort ridges, where dozens of Hezbollah terrorists are believed to remain trapped underground.

The political echelon has exercised restraint in recent days and declined to approve some of the military responses proposed by the IDF, in an effort to avoid damaging ongoing negotiations with the Lebanese government that are being mediated by the United States, according to a Channel 12 report cited in the article.

The preparations follow the Hezbollah attack on IDF forces at the Ali al-Taher Ridge that seriously wounded three soldiers. Israel responded overnight with extensive strikes, including a “belt of fire,” and eliminated Abu Hassan Alaa, a senior commander in Hezbollah’s Badr Unit in the Deir al-Zahrani area.

Earlier, the IDF also eliminated Ali Samir al-Hajj Hassan, a battalion commander in Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, in Ansar along with additional terrorists.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Al Jazeera that Hezbollah bears responsibility for the Israeli presence inside Lebanon and described the terror group as the main obstacle to Lebanon’s economic recovery. The spokesperson added that the pilot zones are the only practical path toward reaching peace.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)