Israeli ground troops begin operations in southern Lebanon

New Delhi, Mar 3: Israeli ground forces have begun advancing into parts of southern Lebanon, according to international news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP), marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict along the northern border.

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorised the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to advance and seize additional strategic areas in Lebanon to prevent further fire on Israeli border communities. He said the military would continue operating against Hezbollah targets and that the group would face continued consequences for attacks on Israel.

The announcement came hours after the Israeli military launched fresh airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut and on Tehran, stating it was targeting military sites. In Lebanon, the IDF said it was striking positions linked to the Iran-backed group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah said it had carried out attacks on three Israeli military installations in response to what it described as Israeli aggression across Lebanese towns and cities.

Israel’s expanded ground movement into what it calls “strategic areas” is being seen as a fresh challenge to Lebanese sovereignty and to the 2024 US-brokered ceasefire that sought to end months of cross-border hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.

The IDF has maintained that the move does not constitute a full-scale ground invasion but is aimed at strengthening defences for civilians in northern Israel, tens of thousands of whom were displaced during a year of cross-border exchanges that coincided with the Gaza war. Following the ceasefire, Israeli forces had partially withdrawn from southern Lebanon but retained positions at five locations. The military confirmed it deployed additional ground troops earlier this week. On Monday, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to residents in more than 50 villages in southern Lebanon.