JUST IN: Israel Launches Ground Operation In Middle East

The Israeli military says it has launched a “targeted ground operation against key targets” in southern Lebanon, sending troops deeper into the area as it moves to expand a buffer zone along the border after Hezbollah began firing on Israel earlier this month during the broader war with Iran.

The Israel Defense Forces said the 91st “Galilee” Regional Division launched a raid late Saturday in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon. During the operation, Israeli troops encountered several Hezbollah operatives and killed them, according to the military.

The IDF said the mission is aimed at expanding what it calls the “forward defense area.”

“This operation is part of the effort to establish forward defense, including the destruction of terror infrastructure and the elimination of terrorists operating in the area, to remove threats and create an additional layer of security for residents of the north,” the military says.

Fox News reporter Trey Yingst confirmed the operation Monday morning.

Ahead of the ground push, the IDF said it launched heavy airstrikes and artillery barrages across the area “to remove threats.”

Israeli forces are operating across multiple sectors of southern Lebanon as the campaign widens.

The 146th Reserve Division remains deployed in the western sector of southern Lebanon, while the 36th Division has been carrying out its own raid in the eastern sector, the military said.

Israeli officials have signaled the operations could expand further. The IDF has been preparing to deploy additional forces into southern Lebanon as it seeks to widen the buffer zone and push Hezbollah fighters farther from Israel’s northern border.

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