Israeli army stages supply drill to prepare for potential Lebanon offensive

The Israeli army has carried out a logistics supply drill as part of its preparations for a potential ground offensive in Lebanon.

In the exercise, forces practiced delivering equipment, water, fuel, and ammunition to simulated “maneuvering forces” in Lebanon amid fighting, the Israeli army said.

It added that the drill included “loading and unloading equipment from Air Force aircraft and transporting equipment using vehicles on the ground” to the front lines.

So far, as part of the war in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Air Force has carried out airdrops of some 110 tons of equipment to troops in the Palestinian enclave, according to the Israeli army. Thousands more logistical supply operations were carried out using convoys of trucks.

“The IDF (Israeli army) is prepared to carry out identical operations in the northern sector (Lebanon’s front) as well, with high intensity and under fire if required,” the Israeli military said.

The drill comes amid repeated cross-border attacks by Hezbollah and allied Palestinian groups from Lebanon at northern Israel, with fears of a wider conflict.

Israel has warned it can no longer tolerate Hezbollah’s presence along its northern border following Hamas’ October 7 attacks in south Israel, and has warned that should a diplomatic solution not be reached, it will turn to military action to push Hezbollah northward.

At least 312 people have been killed in Lebanon since the start of cross-border violence on October 8, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also including 53 civilians. On the Israeli side, 10 soldiers and seven civilians have been killed, according to the latest official Israeli figures.

Tens of thousands of people have also been displaced by the fighting on both sides of the border.