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Jerusalem:
The Israeli military said on Tuesday that troops had launched “ground raids” in villages in southern Lebanon, after the militant group Hezbollah said it had targeted “enemy soldiers” on the countries’ border.
A Lebanese security official said Israel also launched at least six strikes on south Beirut after the Israeli military ordered the evacuation of residents of the Hezbollah stronghold.
Despite international calls for de-escalation, Israel has previously vowed to continue fighting Hezbollah and sealed off part of the border after killing the leader of the Iran-backed group.
Israeli Defense Minister Yves Gallant warned that the war was far from over after the death of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut on Friday, leaving the group in a state of shock.
The army said the troops, backed by airstrikes and artillery, launched ground attacks targeting the militant group Hezbollah in villages near the border “a few hours ago”.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that Israel notified Washington, its main arms supplier, of the incursion.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden indicated on Monday that he opposes Israel’s ground action.
He said that we should have a ceasefire now.
Hezbollah fighters are “ready if Israel decides to enter by land,” the group’s deputy leader, Naim Qassem, said in his first televised address since Nasrallah’s death.
In a statement, Hezbollah said it had “targeted” Israeli soldiers making “movements” in gardens near the border, with a source close to the group saying the soldiers were “right on the border”.
There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah after the Israeli military announced the ground raids, but the group’s Al-Manar television reported the Israeli statement announcing the raids on its Telegram channel.
A military official told AFP that Lebanon’s national army, dwarfed by Hezbollah’s military might, was “deploying” troops far from the border.
World leaders have urged de-escalation, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric saying: “We don’t want any kind of ground attack.”
– Hezbollah ‘Targets’ Soldiers –
Earlier this month, Israel launched a wave of deadly air strikes targeting Hezbollah across Lebanon, the latest killing 95 on Monday, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
On Monday evening, the Israeli army asked people in three districts of South Beirut to evacuate.
“You are located close to the interests and installations of the terrorist group Hezbollah,” Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee said.
“For your safety and the safety of your family members, you should evacuate and stay away from the buildings immediately.”
AFP reporters in the capital heard explosions and saw a flash at ground level.
As Israel announced its ground strikes, Syria’s state news agency SANA said the country’s air defense systems were intercepting “hostile targets” in the Damascus area.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has carried out hundreds of strikes on Syria in recent years.
– ‘Everybody’s Afraid’ –
He said Nasrallah’s killing was “an important step, but it is not final”.
Hezbollah launched low-intensity attacks on Israeli troops a day after its Palestinian ally Hamas launched a rare attack on Israel on October 7, sparking Israel’s devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip.
Border skirmishes have escalated sharply this month.
On Monday, the Israeli army declared an area along the border as a ‘closed military zone’.
According to Lebanese officials, Israel’s attacks on Lebanon have killed hundreds of people and displaced up to a million over the past week.
Hezbollah and other groups fired rockets, drones and some missiles at Israel during the same period, causing injuries but no deaths.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Iran, which backs Hamas, Hezbollah and other armed groups, of “pushing our region deeper into war.”
Netanyahu warned that Israel cannot reach anywhere in the Middle East.
Iran has said Nasrallah’s killing would lead to the “destruction” of Israel, although the Foreign Ministry said Monday that Tehran would not deploy any fighters to confront Israel.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati called for a ceasefire based on a recent proposal by the US and France, calling for an “end to Israeli aggression against Lebanon”.
Earlier on Monday, an Israeli strike hit a building in central Beirut, which an armed Palestinian group said killed three of its members.
The first strike in years in the city center caused panic.
Kahir Binout, 42, a resident of central Beirut, said it “should be a safe zone — not a war zone”.
“Everybody’s scared.”
Lebanon’s Health Minister Firas Abiad said that more than 1,000 people have died since September 17.
Filippo Grandi, head of the UN refugee agency, said: “More than 200,000 people have been displaced inside Lebanon”, while more than 100,000 have fled to neighboring Syria.
– ‘a little while’ –
France said on Monday evening that it was deploying ships to Lebanon as a “precaution” if it decided to evacuate French nationals.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Beirut, the first high-level diplomat to visit Beirut since Israeli attacks intensified, said there was “still hope” for a ceasefire, “but time is running out”.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blanken said that diplomacy is the best way forward for the region.
He said Washington would continue to work to advance a diplomatic resolution for an agreement on the Israel-Lebanon border and Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages.
The United States, Qatar and Egypt spent months trying to strike a deal, which Netanyahu’s domestic critics accused of obstructing.
AFP journalists in Gaza reported that the number of Israeli airstrikes has decreased significantly in recent days.
An assessment by the United Nations Satellite Center released on Monday said two-thirds of the total structures in the Gaza Strip have been damaged in the nearly year-long war.
According to AFP figures based on official Israeli figures, including hostages killed in captivity, Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel killed 1,205 people, mostly civilians. were citizens.
At least 41,615 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Gaza in Israel’s military response, according to figures provided by the Health Ministry of the Hamas-ruled territory. The United Nations has declared these figures reliable.
(Other than the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
