Israel says a ground assault on Lebanon is possible; diplomats scramble to avert war

BEIRUT: Israel’s military chief told troops on Wednesday (Sep 25) that its heavy air strikes on Lebanon were preparing the way for a possible ground operation by Israeli forces against Hezbollah militants while a flurry of diplomacy sought to prevent all-out war.
The US and France were trying to hammer out an interim accord to halt hostilities with a view to opening broader talks that would include efforts to achieve a long-sought ceasefire in Gaza, Cyprus’ President Nikos Christodoulides told Reuters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
US President Joe Biden told ABC television that all-out war was possible, but added: “We’re still in play to have a settlement that can fundamentally change the whole region.”
Three Israeli sources said no significant progress had been made in the French-US effort as yet.
“Risk of escalation in the region is acute … The best answer is diplomacy, and our coordinated efforts are vital to preventing further escalation,” Blinken said at a meeting with Gulf Arab state officials and ministers in New York.
Israeli airstrikes this week have targeted Hezbollah leaders and hit hundreds of sites deep inside Lebanon, where hundreds of thousands have fled the border region, while the group has fired barrages of rockets into Israel.
Israel has expanded the zones in Lebanon that it had been striking since Tuesday night, with attacks for the first time on the beach resort of Jiyyeh, just south of Beirut.
It also attacked Bint Jbeil, Tebnin and Ain Qana in the south, the village of Joun in the southern Chouf district near Sidon, and Maaysrah in the northern Keserwan district.As many as half a million people may have been displaced in Lebanon, its foreign minister said. In Beirut, thousands of people displaced from southern Lebanon were sheltering in schools and other buildings.
More than 60 people were evacuated from the Christian town of Alma Chaab, along the border, following strikes overnight.
“At least two houses were completely destroyed but thankfully they were empty and we had no deaths,” said Milad Eid, a resident.