A senior Israeli official has accused the U.S. of endangering IDF troops by leaking information about its planned ground invasion of Lebanon. 

As reported by The Times of Israel, an unnamed official called the leaks ‘dangerous’, adding that ‘this was done even though the U.S. supports the operation but it is clear that the U.S. is worried – and therefore they outed the operation to try to limit it’.

The comments come amid reports that ministers in Israel‘s political security cabinet were left frustrated that the news of their planned invasion was leaked when an unnamed US security official confirmed yesterday to different news outlets of an impending ‘limited’ invasion into Lebanon. In addition, during a U.S. State Department briefing Monday, spokesman Matthew Miller said that Israel had ‘told us that those are limited operations focused on Hezbollah infrastructure near the border’. 

President Joe Biden also told reporters yesterday that he was ‘more aware than you might know’, before adding: ‘We should have a cease-fire now’. It comes as the IDF confirmed last night a ‘targeted and delimited ground operation in southern Lebanon’ against ‘terrorist targets and infrastructures of the terrorist organization Hezbollah’. 

Spokesman Daniel Hagari added that the villages Israel is targeting are ‘near the border, which pose an immediate and real threat to Israeli settlements’. The long-awaited ground invasion of Lebanon came after a day of ratcheting in tensions in the war-torn region. 

The incursion, dubbed ‘Operation Northern Arrows’ by the IDF will continue  ‘according to the situational assessment and in parallel to combat in Gaza and in other areas’. 

The ground assault, which comes nearly a year on from Hamas’ October 7 attacks, was given the green light after hundreds of Israeli tanks had massed on the border, with foot soldiers also being supported by the IDF’s intensified air strikes.

Dramatic pictures showed a barrage of rockets and bombs lighting up the sky, while artillery fire was heard in a number of villages close to the Israel-Lebanon border.

The deployment of boots on the ground represents a significant escalation in Israel’s war against Hezbollah, whose leadership has been wiped out in a series of recent airstrikes.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah hit back this morning by sending a barrage of rockets into northern Israel. 

It comes as the Pentagon confirmed last night that thousands of American troops had been deployed to the region  amid fears that fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon could escalate into an all-out regional war. 

The Biden administration is hoping to avoid the situation spiraling into a broader war that could potentially drag in U.S. forces, and has urged Israel to keep its incursion limited in scope. 

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