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Rabat – Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have announced its troops have entered southern Lebanon in the early hours of Tuesday in preparation for a ground offensive after over a week of deadly strikes that killed over 700 people in Lebanon.
However, Hezbollah released a statement denying any Israeli ground incursion into southern Lebanon. Muhammad Afif, a spokesperson for Hezbollah, stated that the allegations are false and stressed there have been no direct clashes between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces.
Israeli forces posted a video on social media platform X earlier today saying that it is conducting “limited, localized, and targeted” raids along Israel’s northern borders against Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon.
In the early hours of Tuesday, Israeli forces targeted the Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp in Sidon, resulting in at least five confirmed deaths, according to the Al Mayadeen news outlet.
The IOF claim that the current “limited” incursion aims to neutralize Hezbollah strongholds that threaten Israeli communities, claiming that it does not constitute a war against the Lebanese people, despite the high death toll among civilians.
Avichay Adraee, the spokesperson for the Israeli military’s Arabic-language division, announced that elements of Israel’s 98th Division, including commando, paratrooper, and armored brigades, have been preparing for this ground offensive for several weeks.
IOF issued today urgent orders for residents of 25 villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate immediately. The IOF stated that homes utilized by Hezbollah for military purposes could be targeted, urging residents to move north of the Awali River and avoid heading south.
Read also: Over 100,000 People Cross into Syria from Lebanon as Israel Intensifies Attacks
This is an excuse Israel often used to justify its targeting of civilians and residential areas, similar to how it claimed Hamas was operating from within hospitals and residential areas in Gaza. The evacuation orders are eerily similar to those that the IOF released as part of their genocide on Gaza, which has caused widespread fear and unrest amongst the Lebanese population.
While the US government has not formally commented on this phase of the ground operation, officials have indicated awareness of Israeli plans and expressed support for the limited incursion, reportedly persuading Prime Minister Netanyahu to avoid a full-scale invasion.
On Monday, prior to the overnight invasion, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had a meeting with Israeli counterpart defense minister Yoav Gallant in which he “agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border,” according to a readout from Pentagon press secretary.
Additionally, Israeli warplanes have conducted multiple airstrikes on southern Beirut on Monday, striking neighborhoods including Laylaki, al-Marija, Haret Hreik, and Burj al-Barahneh. The Israeli Health Ministry reports that these attacks have resulted in at least 95 fatalities and 172 injuries across Lebanon.
