On the 1st (local time), Yonhap News reported that the Israeli military officially announced the start of limited, localized ground operations in the southern border area of Lebanon.
According to Yonhap News, the Israeli military stated in a statement around 1:50 a.m. that day, "The military has begun limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence on Hezbollah terrorist targets in the southern border area of Lebanon." They added, "These targets are located in villages near the border and pose an immediate threat to communities in northern Israel." The Israeli military explained that the air force and artillery units are conducting airstrikes on military targets in southern Lebanon to support the ground forces. Furthermore, they said, "The military is conducting operations according to a systematic plan established by the General Staff and Northern Command, and the soldiers have been training and preparing for this over the past several months."
Earlier, the Israeli military referred to the ‘Arrow of the North’ military operation declared against Hezbollah on the 23rd of last month, stating, "The ‘Arrow of the North’ operation will continue based on situational assessments and will be conducted alongside engagements in other battlefields such as Gaza." Reuters reported, citing a journalist from the U.S. internet media Axios on X (formerly Twitter), that Israeli officials said ground combat has begun in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military declared the northern border area of their country a military restricted zone the previous night, sealed it off, and after providing artillery support fire, deployed ground forces into Lebanon to engage in combat.
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