The Israel Defense Forces say a “limited, localised and targeted” ground operation is under way against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon
The targets pose “an immediate threat to Israeli communities”, the IDF says in a statement posted to X, external
The announcement comes after a BBC reporter on the ground said they heard fresh strikes in southern Beirut. Israel’s army had previously ordered residents to evacuate three areas of the city
Earlier, Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem said the group was ready for an Israeli ground offensive and that the battle “may be long”
He made the comments in the first speech by a high-ranking Hezbollah official since Israel killed its leader Hassan Nasrallah in a strike on Beirut
In Lebanon, officials say more than 1,000 people have been killed in the past two weeks, while up to a million may now be displaced
Lebanon is waking up to the news that Israel has launched a ground incursion in the south, something that felt almost inevitable in the last few days.
The fear is that this could be the beginning of a wider campaign against Hezbollah, and history shows that it is easy for Israeli troops to enter Lebanon, but difficult for them to leave.
For almost a year, as Hezbollah carried out near-daily cross-border on attacks on Israel, many outside the group’s support base feared the country was being dragged into a conflict that it has not chosen to fight.
Hezbollah is often described as a state within the state here.
It is a heavily armed militia, said to be stronger than the Lebanese army, and a political movement with representation in parliament, and a social movement with significant support.
It is powerful and highly influential.
The Lebanese authorities have little say, if any, over its actions. And many in Lebanon say the group is more interested in defending its own interests, and those of its main supporter, Iran.
The group – described as a terrorist organisation in the UK, the US and others in the West – has been weakened by intense Israeli airstrikes and high-profile assassinations, including of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
But it has not been defeated. It remains defiant and has vowed to resist any invasion.
In Lebanon, the authorities say as many as one million people have already been displaced, and more than 1,000 killed in the last two weeks. As the conflict escalates, an already exhausted country is being thrown into an even deeper crisis.
