Israel sends troops to southern Lebanon, as Hezbollah vows to prepare for ‘open war’
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Israel sent troops into southern Lebanon on Tuesday and warned residents of more than 80 villages to evacuate as Iran-backed Hezbollah said it was ready for “open war” with Israel after the US-Israel war with Iran.
This came after Hezbollah fired rockets and launched drones early Monday towards northern Israel. Israel retaliated with a wave of airstrikes that killed 50 people in Lebanon, including seven children and a Palestinian terrorist and Hezbollah intelligence officer in areas south of Beirut.
This number of people who died is an updated number from the previous one reported by the Ministry of Health, which said on Monday that 52 people died in strikes. Lebanon’s Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine then lowered that number on Tuesday to 40, then raised the number to 50.
Lebanon also said 335 people were injured and tens of thousands were left homeless.
The UN refugee agency said on Tuesday that around 30,000 people were living in shelters in Lebanon, “while many others are sleeping in their cars, on the sides of the roads as they have not yet found shelter.”
Hezbollah says it must fight
Hezbollah fired two rockets into northern Israel, the militant group said, and overnight Israeli airstrikes damaged a building housing Hezbollah’s television and radio stations. Areas south of Beirut also experienced strikes on Tuesday afternoon that came without warning. The Israeli military later said it had targeted Hezbollah officials.
A spokesman for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, warned residents of more than 80 villages and towns in southern Lebanon to leave, adding that people should not return to these areas until further notice.
A senior official of Hezbollah said that after more than a year of a ceasefire as Israel’s strikes continue in Lebanon, the group’s patience has run out, and it has no other plan but to fight Israel. “The enemies of Zionism wanted an open war, which has not stopped since the ceasefire agreement was reached,” said Mohamoud Komati.
“So let it be an open war,” the Hezbollah official added.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United States, France and Egypt on Tuesday that Hezbollah was firing rockets in areas north of the Litani River. That is outside the area south of the river and along the border with Israel, where the Lebanese army says it is in full control.
The Lebanese army withdraws some positions from the border
The Israeli army said on Tuesday it had sent more troops into southern Lebanon and taken new positions in several strategic areas near the border. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the Lebanese army was withdrawing some of its positions along the border.
Adraee, the Israeli spokesman, told X that the military movement inside Lebanon is aimed at strengthening Israel’s defense system and creating another layer of security.
A Lebanese military official confirmed to the Associated Press that Israeli troops had moved into several areas in southern Lebanon on Tuesday and that the Lebanese army had “repositioned” the area. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military movements.
The UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, said later on Tuesday that its soldiers had seen Israeli soldiers tearing across the border and then returned to Israel. The Israeli military said its troops were still operating in Lebanon, but it was unclear how many troops remained inside Lebanon.
Hezbollah began shooting at Israel a day after Oct. 7. 2023, an attack led by Hamas in southern Israel started the war in Gaza. After months of low-level fighting, a major war broke out in September 2024, and Israel later launched a ground offensive.
Israeli forces withdrew from most of southern Lebanon after a US-brokered deal halted hostilities in November 2024, but continued to occupy five points along the Lebanese border. Israel also continued daily strikes, particularly in southern Lebanon, saying Hezbollah was trying to rebuild its positions there.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Health also said on Tuesday that 397 people had been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon after the ceasefire began and before Hezbollah launched its latest offensive.
