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The Israeli military said Monday it has begun "limited and targeted" ground operations against key Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon.
Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported that Israel may soon approve the mobilization of up to 450,000 reserve troops—far exceeding the current ceiling of 260,000—while Hezbollah said it carried out five attacks on Israeli forces since early Monday.
"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 on X.
The military said the 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."
Before troops pushed into the area, the Israeli army said it carried out massive airstrikes and artillery shelling "to remove threats."
The 91st "Galilee" Regional Division launched a raid late Saturday in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon, during which troops encountered and killed several Hezbollah operatives, according to the military. The 146th Reserve Division remains deployed in the western sector and the 36th Division is conducting a raid in the Rab al-Thalathine area.
The Israeli army has been preparing to deploy more forces in southern Lebanon and further expand its buffer zone to push back the threat of Hezbollah from the border.
Israel may soon approve the mobilization of up to 450,000 reserve troops as part of preparations for a possible expanded ground operation in Lebanon, KAN reported Sunday, though it did not provide a source for the information.
The proposal is expected to be presented to government ministers and the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for approval, the broadcaster said. The currently authorized ceiling for reservist mobilization stands at approximately 260,000 troops based on a government decision issued in January, meaning the new request would significantly expand that limit.
Israel is also considering expanding the buffer zone in southern Lebanon while consulting with the U.S. over developments along the northern border, according to the report.
Hezbollah announced it carried out five operations targeting Israeli vehicles and soldiers in various parts of southern Lebanon since early Monday, claiming the attacks were conducted "in defense of Lebanon and its people."
In consecutive statements, the group said it targeted gatherings of Israeli soldiers with rocket fire twice at the Ajloun Heights site north of the Kfar Yuval settlement and at the Hunin Gate opposite the border town of Markaba.
Hezbollah also said it targeted gatherings of Israeli vehicles and soldiers with artillery fire in Jadida Mays Al Jabal and at a newly established site on Jabal al-Bat in the southern border town of Aitaroun.
Israeli forces carried out an airstrike overnight Sunday targeting the Harat Hreik area in Beirut's southern suburbs, Türkiye's state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent reported.
The strike caused a fire around a targeted building, with no immediate information on casualties.
Israeli army Arabic-language spokesperson Lt. Col. Ella Wawiya claimed on X that the army was targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut.
Army spokesman Avichay Adraee had issued an earlier warning to evacuate the southern suburbs, claiming the army intended to target Hezbollah members and their facilities.
The conflict spilled over to Lebanon when Hezbollah began targeting Israeli military sites on March 2 in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon despite a ceasefire in place since November 2024 and the killing of then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Israel expanded its strikes to Beirut's southern suburbs and areas in southern and eastern Lebanon the same day, before launching a limited ground incursion in southern Lebanon on March 3.
Since Israel and the U.S. launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, killing around 1,300 people, including Khamenei, Israel's expanded attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 800 people and injured over 2,000 others since March 2.
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