Israel Considers Ground Invasion, Calls Up Reserve Brigades As Conflict Escalates In Lebanon: 90K People Displaced

In the hours since Israel’s air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile Hezbollah aimed toward an area in Tel Aviv, Israel Defense Forces are now preparing for a possible entry to Lebanon.

What Happened: Per The Washington Post, IDF chief of staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Haelvi said Israel has called up reservist brigades to “decisively destroy” Hezbollah’s infrastructure.

The development comes after the Lebanese militant group, Hezbollah, intended to harm the headquarters of the Israeli spy agency Mossad.

The attempted attack is considered Hezbollah’s most “provocative response yet” against Israeli operations, according to the Wall Street Journal.

See Also: Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Urges West To Force Russia To Peace, Kremlin Slams UN

Why It Matters: The ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza, and now Lebanon, is taking a catastrophic toll on millions of civilians.

The UN estimates that 2 million Palestinians have been displaced in Gaza due to a war with Hamas that began almost a year ago. More than 90,000 people are reportedly displaced in Lebanon as a result of the conflict with Hezbollah, according to NBC News.

Hamas and Hezbollah are both considered terrorist organizations by several countries and international entities, including the U.S., the European Union and others.

President Joe Biden, in a Wednesday appearance on ABC’s “The View,” said "all-out war" is possible in the Middle East.

"But I think there's also the opportunity,” he added. “We're still in play to have a settlement that could fundamentally change the whole region.”

What’s Next: World leaders are gathering in New York City for the U.N. General Assembly, which is holding its 79th session.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to reporters on Wednesday, maintaining that the plan is to “de-escalate" and avoid “full-scale war.”

Whether any deliberation among the leaders will lead to a cease-fire in Lebanon or an agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stand down from a ground invasion remains to be seen.

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