Israel launches ground raids against Hezbollah as Lebanon fight intensifies

The Israeli military launched small ground raids against Hezbollah and sealed off communities along its northern border as artillery pounded southern Lebanon and signals grew that more forces could soon be sent across the border to fight the Iran-backed militants.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Israel informed the US about the raids, which he said were described as “limited operations focused on Hezbollah infrastructure near the border”.

There were no reports of direct clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants, who last engaged in ground combat on Lebanese soil during a month-long war in 2006.

But a Western diplomat in Cairo whose country is directly involved in de-escalation efforts said an Israeli ground operation in Lebanon is “imminent”.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said Israel had shared its plans with the US and other Western allies, and conveyed the operation will “be limited”.

Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire almost every day since the war in Gaza began, displacing tens of thousands of people in Israel and Lebanon.

Israel says it will continue to strike Hezbollah until it is safe for families to return to their homes near the Lebanon border. Hezbollah has promised to keep firing rockets into Israel until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.

It was not clear if Israel had made a final decision on a broader ground operation in Lebanon.

Hezbollah vowed to keep fighting even after its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah and other top officials were recently wiped out by Israeli strikes.

The group’s acting leader, Naim Kassem, said in a televised statement that if Israel decides to launch a ground offensive, Hezbollah is ready. He said the commanders killed in recent weeks have already been replaced.

The man widely expected to take over the top post from Mr Kassem is Hashem Safieddine, a cousin of Nasrallah who oversees Hezbollah’s political affairs.

Israel’s order restricting entry and exit from the northern communities of Metula, Misgav Am and Kfar Giladi does not necessarily mean Israeli troops will invade Lebanon immediately.

Areas can also be declared closed military zones if an imminent threat is detected.

But the army has heavily beefed up forces along the border in recent days, and commanders have said they are prepared to go into Lebanon if ordered to.

Israeli strikes in recent weeks have hit what the military says are thousands of militant targets across large parts of Lebanon.

More than 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon in the past two weeks, nearly a quarter of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry.

Early on Monday, an airstrike hit a residential building in central Beirut, killing three Palestinian militants, as Israel appeared to send a message that no part of Lebanon is out of bounds.