"Operation 'Northern Arrows' from Israel to Lebanon! The U.S. fully supported the invasion and openly warned Iran."

Israel has launched a ground operation against Lebanon. In a statement from the Israeli army, it was said, "Limited and targeted attacks on Hezbollah targets have begun. Air forces and artillery units are supporting the operation. The targets are points that pose a threat to Israel's security." It was announced that the operation is named "Northern Arrows" and will progress simultaneously with Gaza.

According to the Lebanese news agency NNA, Israeli artillery units struck the El-Vezzani, El-Hiyam, and Marcayun plains in the south for 2 hours. Israeli warplanes conducted airstrikes on the Kevkebe-Marcayun highway, causing the highway to be closed to traffic. Israeli warplanes also carried out intense low-altitude flights over the capital Beirut and conducted 8 airstrikes in the Dahiye area. Smoke rose from the skies of Dahiye after the attacks. Reports indicated that many buildings were destroyed in the strikes.

"HEZBOLLAH'S SPECIAL FORCES ARE THE TARGET OF ISRAELI SOLDIERS"

Military analyst Elijah Magnier stated in an interview with Al Jazeera that the purpose of Israel's ground operation is to encircle and eliminate Hezbollah's special forces in southern Lebanon. Magnier said, "From open-source intelligence, we understand that the Israelis have prepared at least 18 brigades. This means we are talking about 70,000 to 100,000 soldiers. Looking at Hezbollah's structure, the group's strength comes from missile units and special forces. Israel believes it has destroyed most of the missile units, or at least 60-70% of them. Therefore, they now want to eliminate the deployed special forces," he said.

WHITE HOUSE: WE SUPPORT ISRAEL'S RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENSE

The White House believes that Israel's ground operation in southern Lebanon is consistent with the country's right to self-defense. A spokesperson for the National Security Council stated, "We understand that Israel will conduct limited operations to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure that could be used to threaten its citizens. This is consistent with Israel's right to defend its citizens and safely return civilians to their homes," and emphasized their support for Israel's right to self-defense.

US WARNS IRAN

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, in a phone call with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, stated that Washington supports Israel's operation on the Lebanese border. Austin also warned Iran about the consequences it would face if it chose to go to war with Washington's key ally, saying, "I reiterated that if Iran chooses to launch a direct military attack on Israel, it will have serious consequences for Iran."

ISRAELI OFFICIALS REFUSE TO PROVIDE A TIMELINE

According to a report by CNN, Israeli officials state that the scope of the ground operation in southern Lebanon is limited, saying it will "not be a long-term occupation," but they are avoiding providing a timeline. Officials indicated that Israeli forces would focus on eliminating "immediate threats" along the border, but they refrained from providing information on how deep Israeli soldiers would enter the country or how long the operation is expected to last.

US SENDING TROOPS AND FIGHTER JETS TO THE MIDDLE EAST

According to a report in the Washington Post, the Biden administration will deploy several thousand additional troops and more fighter jets to the Middle East. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh stated that forces, including air defense units (F-16, F-15E, and F-22 fighter jets and A-10 attack jets), will be added to the tens of thousands of American personnel already on high alert. The Washington Post reported that the order was given by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Singh linked the additional deployments to the rhetoric of senior Iranian officials, including Khamenei.