The Israeli military said it was carrying out “targeted ground raids” on villages near the Israeli border.
Israeli ground forces moved into southern Lebanon early Tuesday, marking a significant escalation of the offensive against Hezbollah militants and opening a new front in a year-long war against its Iranian-backed adversaries.
In a brief statement, it said it was striking Hezbollah targets in areas near the Israeli border and that air force and artillery units were carrying out attacks to support ground forces. She gave no details on how long the operation would last, but said the army had been training and preparing for months.
It said it was carrying out “targeted ground raids” in villages near the Israeli border. These targets represent a “immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel“.
No direct clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants have been reported. Throughout the evening, Israeli artillery pounded targets in southern Lebanon and the sounds of airstrikes were heard throughout Beirut.
Smoke rose from the southern suburbs of the capital, where Hezbollah has a strong presence, shortly after Israel ordered residents of three buildings to evacuate.
On Monday evening, the Israeli army had already launched small ground raids against Hezbollah and sealed off towns along its northern border.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Israel had informed the United States of the raids, which he described as “limited operations targeting Hezbollah infrastructure near the border“.
Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire almost every day since the Gaza war began, displacing tens of thousands of people in Israel and Lebanon.
Israel says it will continue to strike Hezbollah until families can return safely to their homes near the Lebanese border. Hezbollah has vowed to continue firing rockets into Israel until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.