The Israeli military says it has begun a “limited, localized” ground operation against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.
In documents shared on social media, the Israeli army said it was carrying out “targeted” ground attacks in areas near the Israeli border.
“A few hours ago, the IDF launched a limited, localized, and targeted ground attack based on direct intelligence against Hezbollah terrorists and infrastructure in southern Lebanon,” the military said. “These targets are located in cities near the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.”
Buzz Ratner / AP
The IDF said the operation was planned months ago and launched after approval by political leaders. The military movement comes after the days of Israeli airstrikes that killed the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, and a number of party leaders in Beirut.
“The Israeli Air Force and IDF Artillery are supporting the ground forces with direct strikes on military targets in the area,” the military said.
Israel said the airstrikes were continuing Groups supported by Iran in Lebanon – the operation it calls “Northern Arrows” – will continue “in parallel with the fight in Gaza and in other arenas.”
Israel increased its airstrikes in Lebanon and beyond over the weekend, beginning to cover thousands of kilometers Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The strikes came amid growing concern about that Israel’s year-long war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon could trigger a wider regional conflict, drawing Iran and even the US to support its allies.
Earlier on Monday, a US official confirmed to CBS News that Israel has informed the US that it intends to introduce a limited zone in Lebanon.
In another sign that an attack was imminent, Israel declared three small border communities “closed military zones,” restricting access only to the military.
There were no reports of direct clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah terrorists. But throughout the night, Israeli artillery units struck targets in southern Lebanon and the sounds of airstrikes could be heard throughout Beirut. Smoke billowed from areas south of the capital, where Hezbollah is strong, shortly after Israel asked residents of three buildings to evacuate.
Hussein Malla / AP
Israel is emboldened by its recent gains on the battlefield against Hezbollah and seems intent on defeating its arch-enemy. But working on the ground marks a new and potentially dangerous phase of combat. It also threatens to wreak havoc in Lebanon, where hundreds have been killed in recent Israeli strikes and hundreds of thousands displaced.
Hezbollah is a well-trained army, believed to have tens of thousands of fighters and 150,000 rockets and missiles. The last round of fighting in 2006 ended in a stalemate.
Both sides have spent the last two decades preparing for their next battle. While Hezbollah has developed formidable weapons, Israel has invested heavily in training and intelligence gathering. The recent airstrikes that destroyed most of Hezbollah’s top leadership and the explosion of hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to Hezbollah show that Israel has penetrated deep into the group’s top ranks.
Hezbollah vowed on Monday to continue fighting even after its latest defeat. The acting leader of this organization, Naim Kassem, in a statement broadcast on television, said that Hezbollah will be ready for an operation. He said the commanders killed in the past weeks have already been replaced.
The man expected to succeed Kassem is Hashem Safieddine, Nasrallah’s cousin who oversees Hezbollah’s political affairs.
Israeli airstrikes in recent weeks have hit what the military says have been thousands of militants in several areas of Lebanon. More than 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon in the past two weeks, almost a quarter of whom are women and children, according to the Ministry of Health.
Early Monday, an airstrike hit a building in central Beirut, killing three Palestinian civilians, as Israel seemed to send a message that no part of Lebanon is off limits.
Israel declared war against the Hamas terrorist group in the Gaza Strip after a Hamas attack crossed the border last October 7 that killed 1,200 Israelis and captured 250 others. Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel the next day.
Israel and Hezbollah have fired at each other almost every day since then, coming close to full-scale war on several occasions but backing away from the brink.
But as Israel’s war against Hamas has slowed in recent weeks, it has turned north toward Lebanon and stepped up Hezbollah attacks. It says it will continue to attack this group until it is safe for the Israelis displaced from the border areas to return to their homes.