Israeli officials told their U.S. counterparts that the planned operation will not last too long. According to the Israelis, the goal is very focused.
A spokesman for the US National Security Council told Kan News: "We know that 'crawling' in a mission can pose a risk – and we will continue to discuss this with the Israelis. And ultimately, a diplomatic decision is the only way to achieve lasting stability and security across the Israel-Lebanon border."
The spokesman added: "This is consistent with Israel's right to protect its citizens and safely return civilians to their homes. We support Israel's right to defend itself against Hezbollah and all Iranian-backed terrorist groups."
CNN reported that Israeli officials characterize the ground operation in southern Lebanon as limited in scope, saying there will be no long-term occupation of the area. The forces, according to the sources, will focus on removing immediate threats along the border, including the threat of Hezbollah infiltrating Israel. Despite the insistence that there would be no long-term occupation, the officials refused to specify the operation's length of time and the depth that the forces were expected to reach.
According to foreign reports, Israel informed the United States that it intended to launch a limited ground operation in Lebanon. The operation is expected to be smaller than the operation carried out there by the IDF in the Second Lebanon War in 2006, and will focus on evacuating Hezbollah infrastructure along the border in order to remove the threat to Israeli communities in the area.