Israeli military says “targeted” ground operation in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah has begun

The Israeli military says it has begun a “limited, localized” ground operation against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.

In posts shared on social media, the Israeli military said it was carrying out “targeted” ground raids in villages close to the Israeli border. The targets, it said, pose an “an immediate and real threat to Israeli communities on the northern border.”

It announced that the operation has been planned in recent months and was launched after approval by political leaders. The troop movement comes in the wake of days of Israeli airstrikes which killed the leader of Hezbollah and a number of the group’s commanders in Beirut.

“The ground forces are accompanied in an attack effort by the air force and artillery forces,” the statement said, “which attack military targets in the area in a coordinated effort with the ground forces fighters.”

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