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Israel has launched a small-scale ground military operation against Hezbollah, targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut. The international community had, however, urged Israel to exercise restraint. Israel said the strikes were carried out based on precise intelligence inputs and targeted villages near the border area.
“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 villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel. The IDF is operating according to a methodical plan set out by the General Staff and the Northern Command which IDF soldiers have trained and prepared for in recent months,” IDF posted on X.
“The Israeli Air Force and IDF Artillery are supporting the ground forces with precise strikes on military targets in the area. These operations were approved and carried out in accordance with the decision of the political echelon. Operation “Northern Arrows” will continue according to the situational assessment and in parallel to combat in Gaza and in other arenas. The IDF is continuing to operate to achieve the goals of the war and is doing everything necessary to defend the citizens of Israel and return the citizens of northern Israel to their homes,” it added.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah stated that on Tuesday, it had targeted Israeli soldiers near the Lebanese border.
Earlier, the US State Department mentioned that Israel was conducting limited operations against Hezbollah inside Lebanon. An official, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter, noted, "Israeli forces have been firing artillery from areas declared as military zones since Monday."
A Lebanese military official told AFP on Monday that the Lebanese army had to withdraw its troops from the southern border due to the risk of infiltration. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, added that the Lebanese army was redeploying and reorganising its forces along the southern border.
Hezbollah has declared it was ready to engage, stating that Israel will once again face defeat, as it did in the 2006 war. Hezbollah's Deputy Chief, Naim Qassem, stated that despite losing several leaders, their morale remains high. He added that Hezbollah’s rockets and missiles were reaching up to 150 kilometres inside Israel, and they were fully prepared for ground combat as well.