Israeli troops expand ops in southern Lebanon

The Israeli military said on Wednesday that regular infantry and armoured units were joining ground operations in southern Lebanon, but said they would remain limited and localised in scope.

Israel said on Tuesday that commando and paratroop units had crossed a short distance over the border in the first publicly announced ground invasion in Lebanon.

It subsequently said that special forces units had been carrying out raids against Hezbollah targets across the border for months.

The addition of infantry and armoured troops from the 36th Division, including the Golani Brigade, the 188th Armoured Brigade and 6th Infantry Brigade, suggests that the operation has moved beyond limited commando raids.

The military has said the ground operation is largely aimed at destroying tunnels and other infrastructure on the border and there were no plans for a wider operation targeting Beirut or major cities in southern Lebanon.

Direct clashes

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said its fighters clashed with an Israeli infantry force trying to infiltrate the town of Odaisseh in southern Lebanon.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Lebanese group said it inflicted losses on the Israeli force and forced it to retreat.

It marked the first direct clash between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces since Israel launched its invasion of southern Lebanon.

Since September 23, Israel has launched massive air strikes against what it calls Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, killing more than 1,073 people and injuring over 2,950 others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the conflict into a wider regional war.