A Change in Strategy: IDF to Expand Ground Campaign in Lebanon

"The government of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed to "expanded ground operations in Lebanon," after an early morning vote by the Israel's security cabinet. Senior officers in the Israeli Defense Force have pushed for deploying Israeli troops as far north of the Litani River, but the Israeli government has been vague on this point. If the IDF pushes to the Litani River, this would be a shift in strategy from a week ago.

Since the beginning of the conflict, the Israeli government believed the IDF could establish a narrow buffer zone of 1-2 kilometers on the Lebanese side of the border and range southern Lebanon with air power to hunt Hezbollah rocket and missile teams. The change in strategy may allow Israel to regain the initiative in Lebanon which it lost after the implementation of the failed buffer zone policy and the tragic civilain deaths during the air strikes in Qana."
Counterterrorism Blog