JERUSALEM — The Israeli military announced Monday that it has expanded targeted ground operations in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah strongholds, as part of efforts to secure areas near the border amid the broader regional conflict.
The Israel Defense Forces said forces from multiple brigades, including the 91st Division, have advanced limited and targeted operations in villages and positions in southern Lebanon. The moves aim to eliminate threats from Hezbollah infrastructure and expand forward defense zones, according to military statements. Troops conducted raids in areas near the towns of Khiam, Qantara and as-Sawana, where clashes with Hezbollah fighters were reported.
The operations build on ground activities that began in mid-March. Israeli forces have maintained several positions inside Lebanese territory since earlier incursions, focusing on dismantling rocket launch sites, weapons caches and command posts embedded in civilian areas. In recent days, soldiers from the Golani Brigade and other units located buildings used by Hezbollah, seizing rifles, rocket-propelled projectiles and ammunition, the military reported.
Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group, has continued firing rockets into northern Israel in response to the operations and airstrikes. The group has rejected full disarmament north of the Litani River, a key demand in ceasefire discussions. Israeli officials have stated that the actions are necessary to protect communities in the Galilee and northern Israel from immediate threats.
The fighting in southern Lebanon occurs against the backdrop of the month-long U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran that began Feb. 28. Strikes on Iranian leadership, military sites and infrastructure, including on Kharg Island, have triggered retaliatory actions across the region, including from Hezbollah. More than 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon since early March, with over a million displaced, according to Lebanese authorities and international reports. Preliminary data indicate hundreds of Hezbollah fighters have been killed in the clashes.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has described the situation as a war imposed on Lebanon, while warning that any Israeli buffer zone up to the Litani River would violate sovereignty. The Lebanese Armed Forces have deployed south of the Litani in phases, though progress has been slow.
As of Monday, Israeli ground forces continued intensive operations in southern Lebanon, with no immediate reports of major new advances deeper into the country. Airstrikes and overflights persisted in support of the troops on the ground. Diplomatic efforts through regional intermediaries have not yet produced a ceasefire agreement covering the Lebanon front.
