Doha – The United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) warned on Tuesday that any crossing into Lebanon by Israel would breach the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, after the Israeli military announced it had begun “limited, localized and targeted” ground raids against Hezbollah, according to AFP.
“Civilians must be protected, civilian infrastructure must not be targeted and international law must be respected,” UNIFIL said in a statement.
The warning came as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his opposition to any Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon, with his spokesman Stephane Dujarric telling reporters, “We do not want to see any sort of ground invasion.”
Al Jazeera reported that the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) had advanced into southern Lebanon early Tuesday, backed by air strikes and artillery.
However, Hezbollah media relations official Muhammad Afif denied that Israeli troops had entered Lebanon, telling Al Jazeera, “All Zionist claims that [Israeli] occupation forces have entered Lebanon are false. Our fighters are ready to confront enemy forces that dare or attempt to enter Lebanon.”
The IOF said the raids, launched after weeks of escalating attacks on Hezbollah targets including the assassination of leader Hassan Nasrallah, were aimed at pushing the group’s forces farther from the border.
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Al Jazeera noted that while there have been no reports yet of direct clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters, the move marks a significant escalation that reflects Israel’s increased confidence in degrading its longstanding enemy.
NBC News reported that US officials believe Iran is now preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel in response to the killing of Nasrallah and the invasion of Lebanon.
A senior White House official said the US is “actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack,” warning of “severe consequences for Iran.”
The expanding conflict has already killed over 1,000 people and displaced up to 1 million in Lebanon in recent weeks, according to Lebanese officials.
Acting Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the country “is facing one of the most dangerous stages in its history.”
While calling for a ceasefire, US President Joe Biden appeared to offer support for a limited Israeli operation, just days after Washington proposed a truce.
As fears grow over a wider regional war, all eyes are on southern Lebanon to see if the Israeli incursion will remain limited in scope or expand into a devastating repeat of the 2006 conflict. The coming days will be critical in determining the trajectory of this rapidly intensifying crisis.
