Israel launches ground raids in south Lebanon

Israel’s military said its troops began limited ground raids against Hezbollah targets in the border area of southern Lebanon early on Tuesday, as a ground invasion by its troops appeared to be getting underway.

Calling the campaign Operation Northern Arrows, the military said in a statement that the targets were in villages close to the border and posed “an immediate threat” to communities in northern Israel. It said the air force and artillery were supporting ground forces with “precise strikes.”

Local residents in the Lebanese border town of Aita al-Shaab reported heavy shelling and the sound of helicopters and drones in the sky. Flares were repeatedly launched over the Lebanese border town of Rmeish, lighting up the night sky.

The White House and the US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read more: Israel hits apartment block in first strike on heart of Beirut

Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem said on Monday that “the resistance forces are ready for a ground engagement.”

Lloyd Austin in his talk with Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has reaffirmed that a diplomatic resolution is required to ensure that civilians can return safely to their homes on both sides of the border, according to the US Department of Defense.

“They agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hezbollah cannot conduct October 7-style attacks on Israel’s northern communities,” the department said in a statement.