JERUSALEM

Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi instructed Brig. Gen. Moshe Chico Tamir to “prepare several possible plans for a ground operation in Lebanon,” Israeli media reported.

“Because of the possibility of a general war breaking out in the north, the Israeli army is preparing the option of a ground operation in Lebanon,” the Israeli Channel 13 reported.

“Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi has assigned Brig. Gen. Chico Tamir to formulate a plan to start a ground maneuver against Hezbollah,” it added.

The channel pointed out that "Tamir had great experience in the northern sector when he was in his last position as deputy commander of the Northern Corps of the Israeli army."

“Tamir will develop a number of incursion plans of different scopes, including limited entry, which aims to push Hezbollah to withdraw eight to 10 kilometers off the border,” the channel said.

The Israeli army stated that rumors claiming that it would go against Hezbollah on March 15 are incorrect, according to the channel.

The Israeli army did not officially comment on the report.

Tension flared along the border between Lebanon and Israel amid intermittent exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, in the deadliest clashes since the two sides fought a full-scale war in 2006.

The border tension comes amid an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip that killed more than 30,800 people following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 300 people are estimated to have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon since the clashes first erupted last October. Nearly 20 Israelis have also been killed, according to Israeli figures.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi