Israeli ground forces crossed into southern Lebanon early Tuesday (October 1, 2024), marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah, international media reported.
This development opens a new front in Israel’s yearlong war.
The incursion comes after weeks of heavy Israeli attacks on Hezbollah, including an airstrike that killed its longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The offensive aims to intensify pressure on the militant group, which began firing rockets into northern Israel following the outbreak of war in Gaza.
The last major ground engagement between Israel and Hezbollah occurred during the 2006 Lebanon War.
Describing the operation as “limited, localised, and targeted,” the Israeli military has yet to report significant clashes. However, residents of around 25 Lebanese villages have been told to evacuate as a precautionary measure, BBC reported.
Israeli airstrikes have continued, with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reporting hits on Beirut, while Lebanese officials confirmed strikes on a building in a Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon.
Lebanon’s prime minister has warned that the country is now facing “one of its most dangerous phases,” with more than one million people displaced and over 1,000 lives lost in the past two weeks alone, the BBC report mentioned.
