Para Bellum

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Israel prepared for a possible ground invasion of Lebanon in the wake of an intensifying fight this week with Hezbollah, while US and European leaders stepped up their efforts for a ceasefire in an effort to prevent a wider regional war, ABC News reported.

On Thursday, Israeli forces exchanged fire with Hezbollah fighters as US officials waited for Israel and Lebanon to agree on a ceasefire proposal formulated by the United States and other nations, the Washington Post reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu distanced himself from the ceasefire proposal, the newspaper added.

On Wednesday, Israeli military leaders confirmed they are planning for a ground operation, with thousands of reservists being mobilized to defend the northern front.

Israel Defense Force Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said troops are preparing to enter Hezbollah-controlled villages in southern Lebanon, targeting underground infrastructure used to launch attacks on Israeli civilians. Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have also ramped up significantly since Sunday, with more than 2,000 Hezbollah targets hit over the past three days.

The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health reported that at least 650 people have been killed and more than 1,700 wounded in the strikes, with 81 dead and 403 injured on Wednesday alone.

Also on Wednesday, Hezbollah launched a ballistic missile targeting Tel Aviv, marking the group’s deepest strike into Israel since the conflict began. Iraq also fired drones at the Israeli port of Eilat, heightening concerns about other countries in the region getting involved in the conflict.

Israel’s fight with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed armed group based in Lebanon, began intensifying after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Hezbollah launched a series of rockets into northern Israel in solidarity with Hamas, shortly after Israeli troops began an ongoing military campaign in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

Analysts say the current hostilities resemble the 2006 war, where both sides engaged in fierce battles resulting in heavy casualties and widespread destruction, according to the Financial Times.

International leaders fear that the conflict risks spiraling into a wider regional war. Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib called for diplomacy while Western nations and a number of Arab states expressed support for the ceasefire proposal.

Meanwhile, the United Nations said more than 90,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon because of the fighting, warning that the humanitarian toll is expected to increase. Thousands of Lebanese have already been fleeing into Syria, a country still fighting a civil war in parts of the country and dealing with its own displaced population, added the Associated Press.

Lebanese officials expressed concern that the number of refugees could reach half a million if hostilities continue.