Israel said on Tuesday that it has called up four reserve army brigades for missions along the northern border, after announcing the start of a ground offensive against Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon during the night.
“This will allow the continuation of operational activity against the Hezbollah terrorist [sic] organisation and the achievement of operational goals,” said the army, “including the safe return of residents of northern Israel to their homes.”
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and other Israeli officials have made frequent mention of “the return of the residents of the north to their homes safely,” giving an indication of what one of the objectives of the Israeli offensive is.
An Israeli infantry brigade usually consists of between 1,000 and 2,000 soldiers, while an armoured tank brigade has around 100 tanks.
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