Israel's ground invasion of Lebanon has opened a new front in the Middle East war, expanding its campaign against Iran by targeting one of its powerful regional allies, Hezbollah.
The operation, which began on Monday, aims to remove the threat posed by Hezbollah after it fired hundreds of rockets and drones at Israel last week.
Israel's defense minister said the operation would be similar to the Israeli campaign in Gaza, where some cities were almost entirely flattened, and suggested that Israeli troops could hold on to a chunk of Lebanese territory for an indefinite period.
The new ground campaign raises questions about Israel's ability to fight on many fronts for a long time, especially with a largely reservist army that is already exhausted by 2½ years of war.
Despite efforts to de-escalate the situation, the conflict in Lebanon is expected to continue after the Iran war ends, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Israel's decision to launch the first ground operation of the campaign shows how difficult it is to dislodge groups like Hezbollah, and raises questions about how much Israel and the U.S. can achieve against Iran without putting boots on the ground.
