Israeli military begins ‘limited’ ground operations in southern Lebanon

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - BEIRUT — Israel has said its troops have launched 'limited' operations against Hezbollah in south Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces have moved into more than a dozen locations in Lebanon and are likely to deploy further, according to an Israeli official who requested anonymity to discuss military movements.
The advance is meant to “strengthen a forward defensive posture” against Hezbollah, an Iranian ally, according to an IDF statement on Monday.
Before the troops pushed into the area, the IDF says it carried out massive airstrikes and artillery shelling “to remove threats.”
At least three air strikes struck the city of Khiam, Al Jazeera Arabic reported on Monday.
Khiam, a stronghold of Hezbollah, is strategically located and is seen as a gateway to southern Lebanon.
On Monday morning, two Israeli air raids targeted the town of Yater. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
Khiam sits on high ground just a few kilometres from the Israeli border and the Litani River, giving it a commanding view over northern Israel and nearby Lebanese plains.
Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr said a “major battle was under way” in and around Khiam. “The elevation of Khiam for both sides gives them a strategic advantage,” she said.
“One of the roads leads to the Bekaa Valley too in eastern Lebanon, another area where Hezbollah has influence,” she said.
“What Israel has been trying to do is really cut the supply lines and the difficult capabilities of Hezbollah, so it’s unable to bring in more weapons and fighters to areas south of the Litani River.”
More than 800,000 people, including women and children, have been forced to flee from their homes as the Israeli army issued evacuation orders for many neighbourhoods in southern Lebanon, as well as the capital, Beirut.
Israeli attacks in Lebanon have so far killed at least 850 people, among them 107 children and 66 women. — Agencies