The Israeli military said Monday it had begun what it described as "limited ground operations" against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, as renewed fighting between both sides entered its third week.
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on 2 March when Iran-backed Hezbollah launched missiles into Israel in response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.
Israel has since expanded its air raids primarily on Shia-majority regions, killing at least 850 people and wounding more than 2,000 others.
There are fears in Beirut that an Israeli ground invasion could reach the Litani River, with Tel Aviv reoccupying the southern region.
Clashes have already been reported in several border areas between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli troops, especially in the strategic town of Khiam, which Israeli forces have already reportedly entered.
"In recent days, IDF troops from the 91st division have begun limited and targeted ground operations against key Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, aimed at enhancing the forward defence area," the Israeli military said in a statement.
It claimed that the operation was part of "broader defensive efforts to establish and strengthen a forward defensive posture", which includes dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure and eliminating fighters operating in the area.
The military says the ground operations intend to "create an additional layer of security of residents of northern Israel".
The announcement echoes similar statements issued in 2024, when Israel and Hezbollah fought another all-out war after a year of cross-border clashes. Vital bridges in the south which cross the Litani have already been bombed, which observers say are intended to facilitate a possible ground invasion and hinder Hezbollah’s movements.
Israel occupied the region south of the Litani between 1982 and 2000 and invaded south Lebanon during the 2006 and 2024 wars with Hezbollah.
War could last weeks
A senior Northern Command official in the Israeli military told reservists in a closed-door briefing that fighting with Hezbollah could continue "until Shavuot", a Jewish holiday falling between 21-23 May, according to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
"We will stay [in Lebanon] as long as necessary," the official said, as quoted by Ynet.
Reports on Sunday said Israel was calling up 450,000 reservists for a ground invasion of southern Lebanon.
Two Israeli officials told Reuters on Sunday that Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold talks in the coming days aimed at securing a durable ceasefire that would see Hezbollah disarmed, though the timing and terms have yet to be agreed.
This comes amid contradicting reports; a Lebanese official said Sunday that Beirut has not yet received official notification from Israel on discussions, while Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar denied any talks with Lebanon were being held.
The expected talks were first reported by Israel's newspaper Haaretz on Saturday.
While Lebanon has expressed its willingness for direct talks with Israel, seeking to secure an end to the war, Tel Aviv has accused Beirut of not meeting its commitments to fully disarm Hezbollah as per the 2024 ceasefire agreement.
It has also warned Beirut that Israel will forcefully disarm the group itself if the Lebanese army doesn't.
The Lebanese government insists its efforts to disarm the militant group were ongoing despite the fallout with Hezbollah, saying Israeli attacks on the south had hindered the Lebanese army’s efforts to dismantle militant infrastructure. Hezbollah had repeatedly refused to fully surrender its weapons, citing continued Israeli threats.
On the ground, Israeli strikes killed three people in the southern village of Kfarsir, including two paramedics. According to the state-run National News Agency, the first responders were killed in a double tab strike as they arrived at the scene of the attack on a building.
Bombing was reported across dozens of other towns and villages in the south, and at least two strikes were reported on Beirut's southern suburbs Sunday evening. These neighbourhoods south of the capital have been heavily bombarded and left in ruins since the war resumed.
More than 830,000 people have been registered as displaced, with around 130,000 in collective shelters.