Israel’s military said its forces had begun crossing over the Lebanon border to target Hezbollah infrastructure in villages close to the Israel-Lebanon border.
The Israeli military announced early Tuesday that its troops had begun crossing into southern Lebanon, saying that they would destroy Hezbollah military infrastructure in villages close to the Israel-Lebanon border.
In a statement issued shortly before 2 a.m., the military described the operation as a “limited” operation and said that its troops had begun entering Lebanon “a few hours ago” in order to target sites that “pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.”
The invasion followed intense Israeli strikes across Lebanon over the past two weeks that have killed hundreds of people. Israel is attempting to force a conclusion to a yearlong war that began last October when Hezbollah started firing toward Israeli positions in solidarity with its ally Hamas.
Three Israeli officials said the invasion plan involved operating in a narrow strip of land that lines the northern side of the border. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.
The invasion force consisted of small groups of commandos, accompanied by air cover as well as artillery shells fired from Israel, the officials said. 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 invasion plan was approved in a late night cabinet meeting shortly after the Israeli military declared a closed military zone in three villages at the northern tip of Israel that have been badly damaged through nearly a year of shelling and rocket fire from Lebanon.
Earlier in the day, a reporter for The New York Times saw at least two dozen military Humvees heading toward the same area carrying troops in full combat gear, including night vision goggles. Dozens of logistical trucks, some armored, were also heading north. Intense explosions could be heard near the border late Monday, according to two of the few residents who had not evacuated the area.
The invasion plan followed days of smaller and briefer cross-border reconnaissance missions in which Israeli commandos prepared for the larger incursion.
Israel’s official war aim is to make northern Israel safe enough for tens of thousands of displaced Israelis to return home after nearly a year of rocket fire from Lebanon. Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians have also been displaced by Israeli fire and more than a thousand people, both civilians and combatants, have been killed by Israeli airstrikes.
Natan Odenheimer and Ronen Bergman contributed reporting.
Patrick Kingsley is The Times’s Jerusalem bureau chief, leading coverage of Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. More about Patrick Kingsley
