Israel has launched a ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces started “targeted” ground raids inside Lebanon on Monday evening, the military announced on Telegram. U.S. officials have reportedly been told that the operations will be limited in scope, scale, and duration.

“This is what they have informed us that they are currently conducting, which are limited operations targeting Hezbollah infrastructure near the border,” a State Department spokesman told journalists.

The IDF said the raids are targeted to the border area of southern Lebanon.

“In accordance with the decision of the political echelon, a few hours ago, the IDF began limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon,” the agency said, adding that its targets are located in villages near the border and “pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.”

The IDF’s “methodical plan” was put in motion by the General Staff and the Northern Command, and the agency said its soldiers have trained and prepared for this operation in recent months.

The Israeli air force and IDF artillery are “supporting the ground forces with precise strikes on military targets in the area,” the IDF added, saying political officials sanctioned the operation titled “Operation Northern Arrows.”

The operation “will continue according to the situational assessment and in parallel to combat in Gaza and in other arenas. The IDF is continuing to operate to achieve the goals of the war and is doing everything necessary to defend the citizens of Israel and return the citizens of northern Israel to their homes,” the IDF concluded.

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The news comes after the IDF assassinated top Hezbollah commander Nabil Qaouk and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last week. Israel had ordered citizens in the northern part of its country to evacuate due to the escalating attacks between it and Hezbollah, an Iran proxy group and U.S.-designated terrorist organization.

Israeli security forces have conducted multiple small raids into Lebanon recently as commando units worked to gather intelligence about Hezbollah’s positions, tunnels, and military infrastructure.