Israel has carried out a number of smaller raids against Hezbollah on Lebanese territory and informed the USA about these, according to the US State Department's spokesperson Matthew Miller. The raids are taking place while the country is preparing for a larger ground operation in Lebanon.
At the same time, Israel has declared a military zone in parts of the country's northern border against Lebanon, ahead of a possible ground operation.
"It is forbidden to enter this area", Israel's military announces in a statement.
According to sources quoted by the newspaper Washington Post, the planned ground operation could begin shortly and would be smaller than Israel's last war against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006.
According to the source, the plan is for the Israelis to carry out limited raids in a number of villages along the border, to ensure that Hezbollah does not have the resources to attack Israeli communities on the other side of the border.
