Fears Grow over Israeli Ground Invasion as Israel Orders 25 Lebanese Villages to Flee Homes

Lebanese Prime Minsiter Najib Mikati says Lebanon is now facing "one of the most dangerous phases of its history," as the Israeli military claims to have begun launching "limited and targeted raids" in southern Lebanon. However, Hezbollah has denied that Israeli soldiers have actually entered Lebanon. The possible Israeli ground operation comes after two weeks of Israeli attacks on Lebanon that have killed over 1,000 people and forced over a million Lebanese to evacuate. While Biden called for a ceasefire, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday and affirmed U.S. support for Israeli actions along Lebanon's border. "Israel is ultimately undermining U.S. interests in the Middle East," says Beirut-based political and security analyst Ali Rizk. "Benjamin Netanyahu … wants to go down in history as the person who was able to successfully defeat the major enemy of Israel."

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