Israel has confirmed its widely anticipated ground invasion of Lebanon has begun as fears mount of an all-out war in the region.
The military said in a statement it had started “limited, localised, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence” against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon villages close to the border that it said posed “an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.”
The development signals a major escalation in the conflict and follows two weeks of intensive airstrikes and a string of assassinations of Hezbollah commanders, including the militant group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday.
Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem, in a first public speech since Israeli airstrikes killed Nasrallah, said that “the resistance forces are ready for a ground engagement.”
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