According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), there is fierce battle going on in the region between the Israeli army and Hezbollah.
Twenty miles north of the Israel-Lebanon border, across the Litani River, is a warning to Lebanese civilians not to use their cars to drive south.
The IDF claims that the operation is directed on the “infrastructure” of the Iran-backed group, claiming that it presents “an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel”.
Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defense minister, had suggested that the army was prepared for a ground operation when he told soldiers Israel was ready to use forces “from the air, sea, and land” to fight Hezbollah. The troops were near the Lebanese border.
According to the deputy head of Hezbollah, the organization was ready for any Israeli attack inside Lebanon.
The group claimed to have launched a “rocket barrage” against Israeli troops near the border with Lebanon, specifically targeting the Israeli town of Metula and the Avivim neighborhood.
Following a build-up of tanks and other armor in northern Israel, the IDF announced in a statement published on X at 2:00 local time on Tuesday morning that forces had crossed the border.
The Lebanese army is redrawing its southern border troops by at least five kilometers.
