Israel said on Tuesday that its forces launched a ground incursion into southern Lebanon to establish a “security zone,” noting that its troops are positioned at “strategic points.”
In a statement, the army said its forces had launched what it called a “forward defense operation for the northern towns.”
Lebanon was dragged into the Middle East war after militant movement Hezbollah fired rockets towards Israel in support of its backer Iran and to avenge Khamenei’s killing.
Explosions rocked Beirut while in southern Lebanon, residents fled, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalists, after the Israeli military announced it was striking both parts of the country. In the southern city of Sidon, cars carrying families fled on packed roads, an AFP journalist said, adding that some vehicles had mattresses tied to their roofs.
In separate statements on Tuesday, the Lebanese group Hezbollah claimed that it targeted three military bases in northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights with rockets and drones.
The escalation also came as the US and Israel continued a large-scale attack on Iran since Saturday, killing several top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and military officials.
Related: Greece Bolsters Lebanon’s Defense, Donating Heavy Armor
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