The Israeli army entered southern Lebanon with ground units. What is Israel aiming for with this operation? Here's what's known so far:
What exactly is happening in southern Lebanon?
For now, the Israeli operation in Lebanon is limited to villages in the immediate vicinity of the border, and Hezbollah positions and tunnels are being targeted, explains German public media ARD.
It is not yet clear how far Israel's army intends to go: whether it wants to penetrate only a few kilometers from the border or if it will continue further inland, for example to the Litani River about 30 kilometers north of the border. In this regard, the German media recalls the warning of the Israeli military to the Lebanese population: "Do not head south from Litani".
What is Israel aiming for in southern Lebanon and can it not be achieved with air attacks?
The officially stated goal is to enable people in northern Israel to return to their homes. To achieve this, the Israeli military apparently wants to move the buffer zone further north so that Hezbollah can no longer bomb northern Israel.
At the same time, massive airstrikes continue. Apparently, the goal is to inflict such severe defeats on Hezbollah that the group will not pose a threat to Israel for as long as possible, ARD suggests.
Is Hezbollah capable of resisting Israeli ground forces?
Hezbollah has already announced that it is shelling Israeli ground units. However, this could not be confirmed by an independent source. The same applies to statements by the Israeli military. Yesterday, Naim Qassem, the deputy to slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, said the group was prepared for an Israeli invasion, but that patience would be needed.
At the moment, however, Hezbollah appears to be surprised by the determination with which the Israeli military is acting. At least in the short term, the group has almost no options for effective countermeasures. But this judgment may change - especially if the Israeli army remains in Lebanon for a longer time, ARD points out.
What does this offensive mean for the civilian population in Lebanon?
Overnight there were again massive airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, where Hezbollah is strong and has many supporters. As during the weekend, many people fled to the center of the city, and quite a few of them spent the night in the open again, but already in rather unfavorable conditions, as it rained heavily in Beirut during the night.
What does this latest development mean for the people of Lebanon? Is what is already happening in the Gaza Strip being repeated in Lebanon - namely, that innocent people are being killed in Israeli strikes on terrorist positions? - asks ARD and answers as follows: Although the Israeli army takes very targeted actions against Hezbollah, there are also injured civilians. The Lebanese government has not yet provided accurate information. It is possible that the authorities are failing to keep such statistics in the current massive Israeli attacks, ARD suggests.