Israel has begun a ground military invasion of southern Lebanon early Tuesday, after weeks of escalation with Hezbollah, which led to the killing of the groups’ leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
In a statement, the Israeli military said it started “limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence” against targets and infrastructures of Hezbollah. It added that these targets are located in villages near the border and pose an immediate threat to northern Israel.
Prior to this announcement, US State Department Spokesperson said that Israel launched “limited ground operations” targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon. Meanwhile, Israel declared three border areas as “closed military zone.”
Ground Operation
The Israeli military said that it engaged in intense fighting with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon after its paratroops and commandos launched raids there. It added that the military offensive, which began on Monday night, involved the elite 98th division, which was deployed to the northern front two weeks ago.
It also said that the air force and artillery were supporting the ground forces with “precise strikes,” reported Reuters.
Heavy Shelling
Throughout Monday evening, Israeli artillery units have been carrying out heavy shelling into southern Lebanon, in the towns of Marjayoun, Wazzani and Khiam. Moreover, Israel hit a building in Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near the southern city of Sidon in an airstrike that reportedly targeted Mounir Maqdah, commander of the Lebanese branch of the Palestinian the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Reuters cited Palestinian sources.
In Syria, state media reported on Tuesday that an Israeli airstrike on Damascus killed three civilians and wounded nine others. The official SANA news agency said: “Our air defense systems are intercepting hostile targets in Damascus area.”
Over the past 24 hours, the Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon’s southern regions, the eastern Bekaa Valley, and Beirut killed at least 95 people and injured 172, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
Dangerous Escalation
The ground invasion marks a significant escalation in the cross-border conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, sparked by Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. It follows weeks of heavy blows against the Lebanese group, including a wave of explosions that hit pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah’s members and the assassination of most of the groups’ senior commanders, including Nasrallah.
There are growing fears that the escalating conflict could turn into an all-out war that drags the US and Iran. Israel targeted the Houthis in Yemen with airstrikes, in response to a series of missile strikes, reported the Associated Press (AP). Additionally, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, threatened Iran that his country could strike anywhere in the Middle East.
Hezbollah’s Response
In the first public speech since Nasrallah’s killing, Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Naim Qassem, said on Monday that “the resistance forces are ready for a ground engagement.” He added that group had continued to fire rockets as deep as 150 km into Israeli territory.
Although Hezbollah’s capabilities are unclear, the Iranian-backed group continues to launch rockets and missiles into Israel and is still believed to have thousands of fighters near the Israeli border, making the Israeli ground offensive more challenging.
Amid reports that the Lebanese troops are pulling back 5 kilometers from positions along the border with Israel, the Lebanese army said it was “repositioning and regrouping forces.” In the meantime, a UN spokesperson said that UN peacekeepers in Lebanon (UNIFIL) can no longer patrol border areas in the south due to “the intensity of the rockets going back and forth.”
US Troops Reinforcement
The Pentagon said on Monday that the US is sending a “few thousand” troops to the Middle East to reinforce security and to defend Israel if necessary. This will include multiple fighter jet and attack aircraft squadrons, bringing the total number of US troops in the region to 43,000.
Commenting on the reports of an Israeli planned ground incursion, US President Joe Biden told reporters on Monday: “I’m more worried than you might know and I’m comfortable with them stopping. We should have a ceasefire now.”
