Israel says it has begun ‘limited, localised’ southern Lebanon operation
1 October 2024, 00:34
Military officials said they were carrying out ‘targeted ground raids’ in villages close to the Israeli border.
The Israeli military said it had begun a “limited, localised” operation against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, opening a new front in its war against the militant group.
In a brief announcement released Tuesday, it said it was striking Hezbollah targets in areas close to the Israeli border, and that air force and artillery units were carrying out attacks to support the ground forces.
It gave no details on how long the operation would last but said the army had been training and preparing for months.
“A few hours ago, the IDF began limited, localised and targeted ground raids,” it said. “These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.”
The incursion came shortly after it was approved by Israeli political leaders and marked a new stage in Israel’s war against Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group.
Earlier, US officials said Israel had launched small ground raids against Hezbollah and sealed off communities along its northern border on Monday as Israeli artillery pounded southern Lebanon.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Israel informed the US about the raids, which he said were described as “limited operations focused on Hezbollah infrastructure near the border”.
The sounds of airstrikes were heard throughout Beirut and smoke rose from the capital’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, shortly after Israel ordered residents of three buildings to evacuate.
There were no reports of direct clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants, who last engaged in ground combat on Lebanese soil during a monthlong war in 2006.
Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire almost every day since the war in Gaza began, displacing tens of thousands of people in Israel and Lebanon.
Israel says it will continue to strike Hezbollah until it is safe for families to return to their homes near the Lebanon border. Hezbollah has promised to keep firing rockets into Israel until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
Hezbollah vowed on Monday to keep fighting even after its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah and other top officials were recently wiped out by Israeli strikes.
The group’s acting leader, Naim Kassem, said in a televised statement that if Israel decides to launch a ground offensive, Hezbollah is ready. He said commanders killed in recent weeks have already been replaced.
⭕️ IDF: in accordance with the decision of the political echelon, a few hours ago, the IDF began limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon. These targets are located in…
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) September 30, 2024
The army has heavily beefed up forces along the border in recent days, and commanders have said they are prepared to go into Lebanon.
Israeli strikes in recent weeks have hit what the military says are thousands of militant targets across large parts of Lebanon. More than 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon in the past two weeks, nearly a quarter of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry.
