As Israel builds up its forces in the north in preparation for a possible ground invasion of southern Lebanon, Israeli special forces have been carrying out small, targeted raids in southern Lebanon, gathering intelligence and investigating ahead of an expected broader ground incursion that could actually happen later this week, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

The newspaper quotes Israeli officials as saying that the raids, which included entering Hezbollah tunnels located along the border, occurred recently as well as over the past months as part of broader efforts by Israel to reduce Hezbollah's capabilities along the border between Israel and Lebanon.

The timing of any ground operation could change, officials said, "especially since Israel is under intense pressure from the United States not to carry out a major invasion. It was not immediately clear how long Israel would aim to hold the territory, or whether the incursion would be more like a series of larger raids."

The newspaper quotes Amir Avivi, a former senior Israeli military official who still receives briefings from the defense establishment, as saying that a ground incursion by Israel is imminent and that the raids are part of the preparations.

"The IDF has made a lot of preparations for the ground incursion," Avivi told the newspaper.

"And generally, this always involves special operations. This is part of the process."

According to the newspaper, Avivi claimed that Hezbollah appears so weak that Israel's dilemma will actually be how far into Lebanon it should go. He said that when and under what conditions Israel will leave remains unclear.

“A broader ground incursion would be highly provocative in the region and another blow to a country scarred by previous invasions in 2000 and 2006,” the paper says. “The Israeli government is under pressure to create a buffer zone to stop Hezbollah attacks that have forced some 70,000 people from their homes in the north and to prevent a Hamas-led cross-border attack on Israel on October 7, which many in the country still fear. Hezbollah has threatened for years to invade parts of northern Israel.”

A senior Israeli official said last week that the country hopes to avoid a ground invasion. However, it has built up its forces in the north as the focus shifted to fighting Hezbollah and now has more on that front than anywhere else in the country.

The Israeli military's chief of staff said last week that the airstrikes against Hezbollah were in preparation for a possible ground invasion of Lebanon.

"We are preparing for a maneuver, which means that your military boots, your maneuver boots, will enter enemy territory," Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said in comments to Israeli forces on the country's northern border with Lebanon.

The United States and Arab countries have consistently said they want a diplomatic solution to the crisis, warning of the risk of a regional war.

The United States has also strengthened its forces in the region to deter countries such as Iran from interfering and to prepare to respond to any escalation.

For its part, the US Department of Defense said on Sunday that it would keep the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying ships near the Red Sea.

The Lincoln was expected to leave when the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman arrived. The Truman will now operate near the Mediterranean Sea. It is unusual for the United States to maintain two aircraft carriers in the region.

Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem warned on Monday that the group is prepared for an Israeli ground incursion: “If Israel decides to enter on the ground - Hezbollah forces are ready, we will emerge victorious from this battle.”