The Israeli military has launched “limited, localized and targeted” ground raids in Lebanon, two days after the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an airstrike, threatening to worsen the Middle East crisis.
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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the ground air strikes targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in villages in southern Lebanon near the border and posed an imminent threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel, calling it Operation Northern Arrows. ” would continue in parallel with Lebanon. Lebanese officials said Israel carried out at least six airstrikes in southern Beirut after ordering residents to evacuate. Officials said Palestinian camps in southern Lebanon were also hit by airstrikes. In his first televised address since Nasrallah’s death, Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qasem said he was ready if Israel “decided to invade by land.” The organization said in a statement that it had “targeted” Israeli forces in an orchard near the Lebanese border. World leaders, including the United Nations Secretary-General and U.S. President Joe Biden, had opposed the ground invasion of Lebanon and called for a ceasefire. Hezbollah, which rules Lebanon, has been defiant and ignored global calls for a ceasefire. Lebanese officials say Israeli air strikes on Beirut have killed hundreds and displaced thousands over the past week. The Israeli military last night ordered residents of southern Beirut to evacuate. “You are in the vicinity of interests and facilities of the terrorist organization Hezbollah. For your safety and the safety of your families, you must immediately evacuate and approach the building,” said Avichai Adlai, the group’s military spokesman. he said. The former Hezbollah leader was killed in a massive airstrike in Beirut on Friday. But Israel vowed the fighting was still on. Nasrallah’s killing is “an important step, but not the last step,” Israel’s defense minister said. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant also warned that Israel would use “any means necessary” to fight in northern Israel. Lebanon, which borders Lebanon, is accessible “by air, by sea, and by land.” Meanwhile, three civilians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Damascus, according to state media. The official SANA agency said Israeli warplanes and drones launched attacks from the direction of the Syrian Golan, targeting several locations in Damascus. The war between Israel and Hezbollah marks a shift in focus from Gaza, where Hamas operatives have been fighting Israeli ground operations for months. Lebanese Hezbollah, backed by Iran, supports the Palestinian Hamas organization.
