Israel Launches Ground Offensive in Lebanon

IDF says the operation will be limited in scope
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 1, 2024 12:00 AM CDT
Updated Oct 1, 2024 12:00 AM CDT
Israel Launches Ground Operation in Lebanon
Israeli shelling hits an area in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, early Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024.   (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Israel has launched a ground operation in Lebanon, though in announcing the move early Tuesday, the Israeli military called it "limited, localized, and targeted" in its scope. It said Israeli troops had, a few hours prior, started entering southern Lebanon and targeting Hezbollah infrastructure and sites that "pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel." The New York Times reports that one of its journalists had earlier seen at least two dozen military Humvees carrying troops in full combat gear, plus dozens of logistical trucks, heading for the Israel-Lebanon border. Israel earlier assured Washington the operation would not be as large in scope as its monthlong 2006 war against Hezbollah, a US official tells the Washington Post.

The AP calls it a "significant escalation" of the war with Hezbollah launched, per the Times, "in parallel with" the Israel-Hamas war. Hezbollah and Hamas are both backed by Iran, and militants from both have attacked Israel. There have not yet been reports of any direct clashes between Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and Israeli troops, but Israeli strikes against Lebanon have killed hundreds over the past two weeks, per the Lebanese health ministry. Included among those is Hezbollah's longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah. It's not clear how long the ground offensive will last, but Israel says it will not let up until it is safe for Israelis who have been displaced from border communities to return home. (More Lebanon stories.)

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