Israel to expand ground and air attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon

There are fears in Lebanon that Israel is preparing for a large-scale ground invasion.

The article discusses a critical but overlooked opportunity for Israel to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough in Lebanon amid escalating conflict with Hezbollah. After suffering extensive losses during the 2023-24 conflict, Hezbollah has launched renewed attacks, seemingly to reassert deterrence. Israel, viewing Hezbollah as weakened, sees a chance to decisively neutralize the group, possibly through extensive military operations, including occupation of southern Lebanon. However, this approach risks backfiring by rallying Lebanese and regional support for Hezbollah.

The renewed war between Israel and Hezbollah has rapidly escalated, with Israeli airstrikes destroying residential areas in Beirut and Hezbollah launching missile barrages into Israel. The conflict reignited shortly after a joint U.S.-Israel attack on Iran on March 2, which Hezbollah responded to with missile strikes, citing the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader and Israeli actions in Lebanon as provocation. The confrontation comes 15 months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire ended the last conflict. Israel is now massing troops near southern Lebanon and may be preparing for a large-scale ground invasion.

As of March 2026, Israel's renewed military operation in Lebanon, launched in response to Hezbollah missile attacks, has raised international concern amid fears of a prolonged conflict with devastating humanitarian effects. Five key Western allies— the UK, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy—have urged Israel to avoid a ground offensive, warning of further mass displacement and casualties. This escalation follows the breakdown of a ceasefire established in November 2024, as tensions between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah reignite. Troops are advancing toward the strategic town of al-Khiyam, and Israeli authorities assert their goal is to destroy militant infrastructure. Experts predict the Lebanon conflict could extend beyond Israel’s ongoing war with Iran. The humanitarian toll has already been severe, with nearly one million civilians displaced from southern Lebanon, an area Israel reportedly aims to render uninhabitable. Analysts criticize international inaction, calling the 2024 ceasefire ineffective and blaming it for current instability. Efforts for a diplomatic resolution are underway: France is proposing a peace framework aimed at halting Israel's occupation and disarming Hezbollah. The Lebanese government has provisionally agreed to the plan, and peace negotiations may soon begin in Paris, with France offering to mediate.

As Israeli airstrikes intensify and troops advance into Lebanon, the Lebanese government has made a historic proposal for direct talks with Israel—the first in decades. This comes amid a violent escalation triggered by Hezbollah’s involvement in the wider Iran war, launching attacks on Israel that brought heavy retaliation. Around 880 Lebanese have died, and over a million have been displaced. President Joseph Aoun, backed by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, has broken traditional taboos by suggesting negotiations and recommitting to disarming Hezbollah—a move widely supported by Lebanon’s weary population. Though Lebanese forces took limited pre-war steps to reduce Hezbollah’s influence, a full confrontation was avoided. Hezbollah remains defiant, asserting its role as Lebanon’s protector and condemning the government's peace overtures as betrayal. Israel, demanding Hezbollah's disarmament, warns of more destruction if Lebanon fails to act. The U.S., once an active mediator, has shown little interest in intervening, viewing Lebanon as a failed state. With Israeli forces pushing further into southern Lebanon and the U.S. disengaged, Lebanon’s late diplomatic approach may struggle to avert a deeper crisis.