The Israeli military has crossed the border and entered southern Lebanon with ground forces.
These are “limited, localized and targeted ground raids” against Hezbollah and infrastructure, the IDF announced in a statement Tuesday night. The ground forces are supported by the Israeli air force and artillery.
The targets of the raids pose an immediate threat to communities in northern Israel, according to the IDF.
USA: Necessary
US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin has spoken with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant regarding the situation.
“They agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hezbollah cannot carry out attacks like the one on October 7 against Israel’s communities in the north,” a Pentagon statement said.
Austin and Gallant also discussed “the serious consequences for Iran if Iran chooses to launch a direct military attack on Israel,” according to the statement.
Israel has in recent weeks deployed forces near the border and its military says the soldiers have been preparing for months, according to a carefully crafted plan. There are still no statements as to whether a more extensive ground offensive is underway.
New attacks on Beirut
At the same time, the attacks against Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, continue.
During the night, airstrikes were heard over large parts of the Lebanese capital and smoke rose from its southern suburbs.
The IDF stated overnight that ten projectiles fired from Lebanon crossed the border, several of which were shot down and others struck in open areas. A drone has also been shot down over the Mediterranean Sea.
In the past week, Israel has carried out intensive bombing raids, mainly against the densely populated southern parts of Beirut, where Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed on Friday. The eastern and southern parts of Lebanon have also been attacked.
On Monday, 95 people were killed in Israeli attacks in the country, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health.