The Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee said elements of Israel’s 98th Division, including the commando, paratrooper and armoured brigades, have begun “targeted and specific activities in the South Lebanon area”, Al Jazeera reports.

The units had been preparing for the ground offensive into Lebanon for the past few weeks, Adraee said in a post on social media, which included a video clip of Israeli troops operating at night in apparent preparation for the incursion.

Israeli soldiers work on tanks at a staging area in northern Israel near the Israel-Lebanon border — Baz Ratner/AP Photo
Israeli soldiers work on tanks at a staging area in northern Israel near the Israel-Lebanon border — Baz Ratner/AP Photo

Opinion

Geopolitical shift in ME

Geopolitical shift in ME

A prolonged conflict will have far-reaching implications for regional geopolitics, sharpening the divisions among Gulf countries that are directly affected by the tensions.

Editorial

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