The Israeli army said that its soldiers were engaged in violent battles with Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon, while the party confirmed that it targeted “enemy soldier movements” in the Metula site with artillery shells, and achieved direct hits.

Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee confirmed in a tweet on the “X” website today, Tuesday, that violent battles are taking place in southern Lebanon, calling on “residents not to move in vehicles from the north to the south of the Litani River until further notice.”

For his part, Israeli Minister of Internal Security Itamar Ben Gvir said that the Israeli army “is currently fighting in conditions that are not easy in southern Lebanon,” adding that “this is the right time to defeat Hezbollah and return the residents of the north to their homes.”

The occupation army had reported that the forces of the 98th Division, Commando and Paratroopers Brigades, and the 7th Armored Brigade were participating in the Lebanon operation.

For its part, Reuters quoted an Israeli security official as saying that the forces participating in the operation are of the type that conduct limited operations, stressing that there have been no reports so far of clashes with Hezbollah forces within the ground operation.

Hezbollah responds
For its part, Hezbollah announced in separate statements that today, Tuesday, its members targeted a movement and gathering of Israeli soldiers in the Israeli Metula site with artillery shells and missiles, causing direct hits. They also targeted Israeli soldiers at the gate of the Israeli settlement of Shtola with shells. Artillery.

In another statement, the party said that its fighters targeted movements of Israeli enemy soldiers in the orchards opposite the towns of Al-Adisa and Kafr Kila with appropriate weapons, and caused confirmed casualties among them, explaining that these attacks come in support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in defense of Lebanon and its people.

The start of the operation
At dawn today, Tuesday, the Israeli army announced the start of a ground military operation in Lebanon. The Israeli military spokesman said that the army forces began a focused ground military operation in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli army also announced in a statement, “We have begun a specific ground operation in southern Lebanon in accordance with the decision of the political level,” and added that the operation includes a number of villages near the border.

He explained that the army is working according to a regular plan supervised by the General Staff and the Northern Command, and said that the ground operation aims to “return the residents of the north to their homes.”

He pointed out that “the phases of the campaign have been approved, and are being implemented in accordance with the decision of the political level,” adding that the operation is accompanied by air and artillery support, “and it comes in conjunction with an ongoing operation in the Gaza Strip and other arenas.”

For its part, the American news site Axios quoted Israeli officials as saying that the ground operation launched by the army is “a specific operation, limited in time and scope, and does not aim to occupy southern Lebanon.”

The Lebanese Army and UNIFIL
Prior to the Israeli announcement, a Lebanese army source reported that “Lebanese army forces are repositioning and reassembling forces” in parts of southern Lebanon near the border.

The Lebanese army said, “What some media outlets reported regarding the army’s withdrawal from southern border posts several kilometers away is inaccurate.”

Also, the spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General said yesterday, Monday, that the United Nations peacekeeping forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were unable to conduct patrols due to the severity of the Israeli strikes and Hezbollah missiles targeting Israel.

More than a thousand people have been killed in Lebanon, according to the authorities, since the level of escalation between Hezbollah and Israel rose in mid-September.