Tuesday Briefing: Israel Sends Troops Into Lebanon

Briefing|Tuesday Briefing: Israel Sends Troops Into Lebanon

Israel sent troops into southern Lebanon

The Israeli military announced early this morning that it had begun a “limited” invasion of southern Lebanon. The military said it was targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in villages close to the border that “pose an immediate threat” to communities in northern Israel, officials said.

The invasion force consisted of small groups of commandos, accompanied by air cover as well as artillery shells fired from Israel. The plan could yet evolve into a larger invasion; thousands of additional troops have been deployed in northern Israel in recent days, leading to speculation about a broader and more prolonged operation.

The ground operation followed intense Israeli strikes across Lebanon over the past two weeks that have killed hundreds of people, according to the Lebanese health ministry, including 95 yesterday. Israel is trying to force a conclusion to a yearlong war with Hezbollah that started in parallel with the war with Hamas in Gaza. Hezbollah has been firing toward Israeli positions in solidarity with Hamas. Both groups are backed by Iran.

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