Tel Aviv
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In early January, Israel was quietly finalizing plans for a wide-scale operation along its northern border. More than a year had passed since a US-brokered ceasefire nominally ended months of open conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that had culminated in a ground invasion of southern Lebanon by Israeli forces.
The Lebanese government, which had committed to disarming the Iran-backed militant group in the November 2024 deal, was failing to deliver, Israeli officials told CNN. It was time, they felt, to launch another operation to end Hezbollah’s ability to rain rockets down on Israeli communities for good.
Eight days into the new year, Israel’s calculus…