Israel is expanding its ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon, sending thousands of additional soldiers to new zones in the country's southwest.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that its 4th Division has taken part in an eight-day ground operation to destroy Hezbollah targets and infrastructure. Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Job Gallant told officers that a successor to slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has also been "probably eliminated." He spoke hours after Nasrallah's former deputy Naim Qassem claimed the Iran-backed group had overcome a recent "painful blow" from Israel and that its capabilities were "good." Follow this story for updates Lebanon abandoned by international community – former prime minister Analysis: A year of carnage and shattered assumptions has pushed the Middle East to the brink of an even deeper and more widespread war Analysis: What will it take to end the conflict? Hezbollah fighters fired a volley of rockets into the northern Israeli port city of Haifa on Tuesday for the third consecutive day, wounding 12 people. The group has remained defiant despite three weeks of intense Israeli and other attacks in Lebanon that have left more than 1,400 people dead and displaced another 1.2 million, according to Lebanese officials. Israel is on the offensive after nearly a year of cross-border fighting sparked by the Gaza war, saying it wants to ensure the safe return of tens of thousands of residents in Israeli border areas displaced by Hezbollah rocket, missile and drone attacks, . Hostilities have been steadily escalating since Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of the Palestinians on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after a deadly attack by its ally Hamas into southern Israel. On Tuesday morning, the IDF announced that reservists from the 146th Division had begun "limited, localized and targeted operational activities" in southwest Lebanon. Since the invasion began on September 30, she has joined three regular army divisions operating in south-central and eastern Lebanon, reportedly bringing the total number of troops deployed to more than 15,000. The IDF also announced on Tuesday that troops had taken control of what it called a Hezbollah "fighting ground" in the border village of Mar'un al-Ras. She released photos showing loaded rocket launchers in an olive grove and weapons and equipment in a residential building. Meanwhile, drone footage showed widespread destruction in the nearby village of Yaroun, which was the initial target of the invasion. On Monday, the IDF ordered the evacuation of 24 more towns and villages in southwest Lebanon. Local residents have been asked to move north of the Awali River, about 50 kilometers from the border. The UN special coordinator for Lebanon and the UN peacekeeping force commander said in a joint statement that the humanitarian impact of the conflict has been "nothing short of devastating" and warned that "too many people... are paying an unimaginable price." Up to 1.2 million people fled their homes last year, according to the Lebanese government. There are about 180,000 people in certified refugee camps. Additionally, more than 400,000 people, including more than 200,000 Syrian refugees, have sought refuge in war-torn Syria, a situation the head of the UN refugee agency described as "tragic absurdity."
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