Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah killed in Israeli airstrikes on Beirut

(LONDON) — The Israel Defense Forces continued its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza — particularly in the north of the strip — and in Lebanon, with Israeli attacks on targets nationwide including in the capital Beirut. The strikes form the backdrop for a fresh diplomatic push by the White House ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office in January.

Tensions also remain high between Israel and Iran after the former launched what it called “precise strikes on military targets” in several locations in Iran following Tehran’s Oct. 1 missile barrage.

Experts tell UN north Gaza famine is ‘occurring or imminent’

Experts warned the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday that famine is “occurring or imminent” in parts of northern Gaza.

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon rejected the famine warning as “simply false” and said Israel is making additional efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory.

During the session, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said there must be “no forcible displacement, nor policy of starvation in Gaza” by Israel, warning such policies would have implications under U.S. and international law.

The session was held shortly after the U.S. said it would not restrict military aid to Israel despite concerns about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza after more than a year of war.

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky and Joe Simonetti

Palestinian militants release video of Russian-Israeli hostage

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum authorized the publication Wednesday of a video released by Palestinian Islamic Jihad of hostage Alexander “Sasha” Troufanov — the first video of a living captive for several months.

Troufanov, 29, was kidnapped from his parents’ home in the border kibbutz of Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023. His mother Yelena, grandmother Irena and partner Sapir were also kidnapped, but released in a November 2023 prisoner swap deal. His father, Vitaly, was killed in the attack.

In the video released Wednesday, Troufanov said he and other surviving hostages were running out of food and basic hygiene products. Troufanov urged the Israeli public to continue pressing for a hostage release deal and said he feared being accidentally killed by the Israel Defence Forces.

PIJ released two videos of Troufanov in May.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement posted to social media, “It’s inconceivable and incomprehensible that almost a year has passed since the last hostage release deal.”

“The hostages have no time left — a deal for their release is the only way to bring them all back to us: the living for rehabilitation and those who were murdered for proper burial.”

-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti

New Israeli airstrikes, evacuation orders in Beirut

The Israel Defense Forces ordered residents of several areas in the southern Beirut suburbs to flee their homes on Wednesday morning ahead of an imminent resumption of airstrikes

The target locations were in the Hezbollah stronghold suburb of Dahiya, which has been the focus of Israeli airstrikes since September.

The Wednesday morning evacuation orders came after a night of heavy bombardment in the area, which the IDF claimed targeted “Hezbollah weapons storage facilities and command centers.”

Lebanese authorities say Israeli strikes have killed more than 3,200 people since Oct. 8, 2023. Around a quarter of Lebanon’s population — some 1.2 million people — have been forced from their homes by Israel’s operation, per United Nations figures.

State Department denies giving Israel ‘a pass’ on Gaza

Vedant Patel, the State Department’s principal deputy spokesperson, denied at a Tuesday briefing that the U.S. is giving Israel “a pass” after President Joe Biden’s administration said it would not withhold weapons earmarked for the country over dire humanitarian conditions inside Gaza.

Tuesday saw the expiry of a 30-day deadline set by the U.S. for Israel to “surge” aid into the devastated Palestinian territory, or risk restrictions on military aid. Patel said Israel met some — but not all — U.S. demands set out in an Oct. 13 letter signed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

“Certainly I would not view it as giving them a pass, because one, no one is up here — certainly I’m not — saying that the situation in Gaza or the humanitarian circumstances are rosy,” Patel told journalists at a Tuesday briefing.

“It is a very dire circumstance,” he added. “And what we need to see is we need to see these steps acted on. We need to see them implemented.”

-ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston

White House says Israel has ‘taken steps’ to improve aid in Gaza

Following a State Department press briefing with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the White House released a statement saying they’ve seen Israel has “taken steps” to improve humanitarian aid in Gaza but “there’s more work to be done.”

“We have seen, certainly some improvement. And again, we are going to do everything that we can,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told ABC News.

“The United States, we are indeed, the largest provider of humanitarian aid, humanitarian assistance into Gaza to relieve the pain of the Palestinian people. And what we’re seeing and you’re right, it is dire. But those discussions continue, and we’re going to be laser-focused on that,” Jean-Pierre added.

-ABC News’ Justin Gomez

Tens of people killed in Gaza, Lebanon after Israeli strikes

At least 62 Palestinians were killed and 147 were wounded in five IDF attacks across the Gaza Strip within the last 48 hours as the situation in the north remains dire, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.

The IDF launched strikes on Beit Hanoun in the north, Deir Al Balah and the Al-Mawasi area Tuesday morning, where displaced people were sheltering in west of Khan Yunis.

Several strikes on southern Beirut were reported as well. In Lebanon, at least 3,287 people have been killed and 14,222 wounded since October 2023.

-ABC News’ Somayeh Malekian, Sami Zyara, Diaa Ostaz and Ghazi Balkiz

Airstrikes hit Beirut suburbs

Several large airstrikes rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday morning, shortly after the Israel Defense Forces issued new evacuation orders for people living in the southern suburbs of Dahiya.

Dahiya — known as a Hezbollah stronghold — has borne the brunt of Israeli airstrikes on the capital. It was here that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed by a massive Israeli attack in September.

The IDF has said it is targeting Hezbollah operatives, weapons manufacturing facilities and arms storage sites in the area.

Lebanese authorities say 3,200 people have been killed by Israeli strikes since cross-border fighting with Hezbollah flared again on Oct. 8, 2023.

-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti

New Gaza aid crossing opens, Israel says

The Israel Defense Forces and the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories agency announced Tuesday the opening of a new humanitarian aid crossing into the Gaza Strip, on the same day a U.S. deadline to improve the flow of aid expired.

“In accordance with directives from the political echelon, and as part of the effort and commitment to increase the volume and routes of aid to the Gaza Strip, the ‘Kisufim’ crossing was opened” for “the transfer of humanitarian aid trucks,” the statement said.

The deliveries will include “food, water, medical supplies and shelter equipment to central and southern Gaza,” the statement said. The supplies underwent “strict security checks at the Kerem Shalom crossing” before being sent into the strip, the IDF and COGAT said.

An Oct. 13 letter signed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned that continued failure to allow adequate aid into Gaza may trigger U.S. laws restricting military support for Israel.

Among the letter’s demands were that Israel allow a minimum of 350 truckloads of goods to enter Gaza each day, that it open a fifth crossing into the besieged territory, that it allow people in Israeli-imposed coastal tent camps to move inland before the winter and that it ensure access for aid groups to hard-hit northern Gaza.

The letter also called on Israel to halt legislation — since passed — that would hinder the operations of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Joe Simonetti

Israel fails to meet US aid demands in Gaza, NGOs say

A group of eight aid agencies published a joint statement Tuesday alleging that Israel has failed to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza in the 30-day window set by the U.S.

The U.S. deadline for Israel to “surge” food and other humanitarian aid into the devastated territory expires Tuesday.

Officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned last month that Israel’s failure to deliver may trigger laws requiring the U.S. to restrict military aid to Israel.

The eight NGOs — among them Oxfam America, the Norwegian Refugee Council and Save the Children — awarded Israel a “failing grade” in meeting U.S. demands.

“The facts are clear: the humanitarian situation in Gaza is now at its worst point since the war began in October 2023,” the statement said.

“This new analysis clearly demonstrates that the Israeli government is violating its obligations under U.S. and international law to facilitate humanitarian relief for suffering Palestinians in Gaza,” Refugees International President — and former senior USAID official — Jeremy Konyndyk said.

“With experts again projecting imminent famine in north Gaza, there is no time to lose. The United States must impose immediate restrictions on security cooperation with Israel,” he added.

-ABC News’ Guy Davies

US strikes Iran-backed groups in Syria

U.S. Central Command announced late Monday that American forces struck nine targets in two locations “associated with Iranian groups in Syria” in response to attacks on U.S. personnel in the country.

“These strikes will degrade the Iranian backed groups’ ability to plan and launch future attacks on U.S. and coalition forces” deployed to the region for operations against Islamic State militants, CENTCOM said.

“Attacks against U.S. and coalition partners in the region will not be tolerated,” CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said in a statement.

“We will continue to take every step necessary to protect our personnel and coalition partners and respond to reckless attacks,” he added.

‘No cease-fire’ in Lebanon, Israeli defense minister says

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday there would be “no cease-fire” and “no respite” in Lebanon despite an ongoing diplomatic push to end Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah in the country.

Katz said the offensive against Hezbollah — and the killing of its former leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut in September — “are a picture of victory and the offensive activity should be continued” to further erode Hezbollah capabilities “and realize the fruits of victory.”

“We will continue to hit Hezbollah with full force until the goals of the war are achieved,” Katz said in a post to X.

“Israel will not agree to any arrangement that does not guarantee Israel’s right” to “prevent terrorism on its own,” Katz continued, demanding the disarming of Hezbollah, the group’s withdrawal north of the Litani River and the return of Israeli communities to their homes in the north of the country.

Katz was appointed to head the Defense Ministry earlier this month. He replaced Yoav Gallant, who had emerged as a top critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s prosecution of the wars in Gaza and Lebanon. Katz was previously Israel’s foreign minister.

7 killed in strike in southern Lebanon: Health ministry

Seven people were killed and another seven injured after an Israeli strike on Al-Saksakieh in southern Lebanon Monday evening local time, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said.

Search and rescue teams are working to find missing people under the rubble, Lebanese national media reported.

The Israeli Defense Forces issued a warning to residents of 21 villages in southern Lebanon telling them to evacuate their homes immediately Monday evening local time.

-ABC News Ghazi Balkiz

Israeli finance minister wants Israel to extend sovereignty to West Bank in 2025

Israel’s far-right finance minister said he wants Israel to extend sovereignty to the West Bank in 2025 and believes U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will “support the State of Israel in this move.”

“In the first term, President Trump led dramatic moves, including the transfer of the American embassy to Jerusalem and the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel, recognition of the Golan Heights, and the decision on the legality and legitimacy of the settlements in Judea and Samaria, along with the Abraham agreements of peace for peace,” Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in remarks on Monday.

Smotrich, who has called for Israeli sovereignty in the Israeli-occupied West Bank for years, also said he has directed staff to begin “work to prepare the necessary infrastructure for the application of sovereignty” to the West Bank.

-ABC News’ Dana Savir

Hezbollah fires 75 projectiles into Israel, IDF says

The Israel Defense Forces said Hezbollah fired at least 75 projectiles into Israel on Monday.

Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service said it treated three people with shrapnel injuries in the area of Karmiel in northern Israel. Two other people were treated for shrapnel injuries in the Krayot area, the MDA said.

Hezbollah claimed several rocket and drone attacks on Monday.

Among the strikes was a “large rocket salvo” targeting a paratrooper training base in Karmiel settlement, Hezbollah said in a statement.

-ABC News’ Dana Savir and Ghazi Balkiz

IDF orders residents of 21 south Lebanon villages to evacuate

Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued a warning to residents of 21 south Lebanon villages to evacuate their homes until further notice, warning of imminent Israeli strikes there.

Adraee said in a post on X that the villages were the site of Hezbollah military activity and warned that the IDF would “act forcefully” against targets there.

“For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and move to the north of the Awali River,” Adraee wrote. “For your safety, you must evacuate without delay.”

“You are prohibited from heading south,” he added. “Any movement south could be dangerous to your life.”

Around a quarter of Lebanese territory and a quarter of all residents — some 1.2 million people — are under IDF evacuation orders, per United Nations analysis.

Israel has killed more than 3,000 people in southern Lebanon since Oct. 8, 2023, Lebanese authorities have said.

IDF says deadly north Lebanon strike targeted Hezbollah weapons

The Israel Defense Forces said the strike in northern Lebanon that killed dozens of people on Sunday targeted “a Hezbollah terrorist site” which was storing weapons.

Lebanese health officials said the airstrike on the village of Aalmat — in a mainly Christian area in the north of the country — killed 23 and injured at least six others. Seven children were among the dead, officials said. Search and rescue work was ongoing as of Sunday.

The IDF said that Hezbollah fighters “responsible for firing rockets and missiles toward Israeli territory” were “operating from the site,” adding that the details of the incident “are under review.”

Lebanese authorities say that Israeli strikes have killed more than 3,000 people since Oct. 8, 2023. Some 1.2 million people — around a quarter of Lebanon’s population — have also been displaced by Israel’s military campaign.

-ABC News’ Dana Savir

IDF intercepts launch from Yemen

The Israel Defense Forces said Monday it intercepted one projectile “that approached Israel from the direction of Yemen.”

“The projectile did not cross into Israeli territory,” the IDF said in a statement posted to X, noting that the projectile caused sirens to sound in several areas of central Israel.

Overnight, the IDF also said it intercepted four uncrewed aerial vehicles that approached Israel from the east.

-ABC News’ Bruno Nota

New Defense Minister says Israel has defeated Hezbollah

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared on Sunday that his country has defeated Hezbollah after killing the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

“We defeated Hezbollah, and the elimination of Nasrallah was the crowning achievement,” Katz said during a handover ceremony at Israel’s foreign ministry on Sunday.

The ceremony comes after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired the previous defense minister, Yoav Gallant.

There is no word on how this will affect Israel’s operations in Lebanon, which shows no sign of slowing.

“Now it is our job to continue the pressure,” Katz said. “We will work together to materialize the fruits of this victory by ensuring that the security situation in Lebanon has changed.”

Israeli president to meet Biden

Israeli President Isaac Herzog will meet President Joe Biden on Tuesday during his visit to the U.S., according to Herzog’s office.

-ABC News’ Bruno Nota

Netanyahu says he’s spoken to Trump 3 times, ‘we see eye to eye’ on Iran

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement Sunday to mark the anniversary of Kristallnacht, highlighting the violence Thursday on the streets of Amsterdam that authorities said targeted Israeli soccer fans there, saying in a statement translated from Hebrew: “We will do what is necessary to defend ourselves and our citizens. We will never allow the atrocities of history to recur.”

Netanyahu also said he has spoken to President-elect Donald Trump three times since the election.

“These were very good and important talks designed to further enhance the steadfast bond between Israel and the U.S.,” Netanyahu said. “We see eye to eye on the Iranian threat in all its aspects, and on the dangers they reflect. We also see the great opportunities facing Israel, in the area of peace and its expansion, and in other areas.”

-ABC News’ Dana Savir

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(NEW YORK) — Israeli troops are now active in southern Lebanon in what the Israel Defense Forces called “limited, localized, and targeted ground raids” targeting Hezbollah positions.

Israel believes it has eliminated around 30 top Hezbollah leaders over the last several weeks, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, U.S. and Israeli officials said.

Here’s how the news is developing:

2 US Navy destroyers fired missile interceptors: Pentagon

Two U.S. Navy destroyers fired “approximately a dozen” missile interceptors at the incoming ballistic missile barrage aimed at Israel, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing.

Ryder said the two destroyers that launched missile interceptors were the USS Bulkeley and USS Cole.

He didn’t confirm whether they hit their targets, saying the assessment is ongoing.

No U.S. personnel were injured during the Iranian missile attack, Ryder said.

-ABC News’ Luis Martinez

Iran ‘stands firmly against any threat’: President Pezeshkian

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a post on X that the attack on Israel was “based on legitimate rights and with the aim of peace and security for Iran and the region.”

Pezeshkian also addressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly in his post: “Let Netanyahu know that Iran is not belligerent, but it stands firmly against any threat.”

“This is only a tiny part of our power. Do not step into a conflict with Iran,” Pezeshkian added.

-ABC News’ Somayeh Malekian

Israel appears to have ‘defeated’ Iran’s attack: US

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel appears to have “effectively defeated” Iran’s attack.

“A few hours ago, Iran — for the second time in the space of five months — launched a direct attack on Israel, including some 200 ballistic missiles. This is totally unacceptable and the entire world should condemn it,” he said during a previously scheduled meeting with India’s external affairs minister.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan also told reporters during a White House briefing that Iran’s attack “appears to have been defeated and ineffective” based on the United States’ early assessment.

Sullivan said the U.S. military worked closely with the IDF to defend Israel and was proud to do so, including in shooting down incoming missiles from U.S. naval destroyers positioned in the area, and that President Joe Biden will be involved in constant conversations with the Israelis about what should come next. He declined to provide any details about what level of response Biden will encourage.

-ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston and Cheyenne Haslett

Iran says it targeted 3 military bases around Tel Aviv

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted three Israeli military bases around Tel Aviv in its attack on Israel.

The Iranian Mission to the United Nations told ABC News that “no notice was given to the U.S. prior” to the attack, though a “serious warning was issued afterward.”

-ABC News’ Hami Hamedi

IDF says 180 missiles fired from Iran

The Israel Defense Forces said it identified approximately 180 missiles fired toward Israel from Iran.

The Iranian missile attack began at 7:31 p.m. local time on Tuesday, the IDF said.

Most of the missiles were intercepted, but “several hits were identified, and the damage is being assessed,” an Israeli security official said.

-ABC News’ Dana Savir

UN Security Council expected to convene Wednesday

The United Nations Security Council is expected to convene on Wednesday to discuss Iran’s attack on Israel, according to Israel’s ambassador to the U.N.

-ABC News’ Josh Margolin

DHS warns of potential cyberattack threat against US following killing of Nasrallah

The Iranian regime is unlikely to take direct military action against the U.S. homeland following Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, though his death could prompt Iran or its proxies to take alternative actions like cyberattacks, according to a new Department of Homeland Security alert.

Nasrallah’s death is also unlikely to galvanize people within the U.S to take action, though the “expansion of the regional conflict and potential for increased circulation of graphic images highlighting civilian deaths could contribute to [extremist] radicalization to violence,” according to the Sept. 30 document obtained by ABC News and distributed to law enforcement agencies around the country.

“We also assess that it is unlikely that Iran or its proxies will target the homeland during any potential physical response to the airstrike,” the alert stated. “We are concerned that the incident may prompt Iranian government or other malicious cyber actors supportive of Tehran’s interests to conduct cyber attacks against poorly secured US critical infrastructure entities, among other targets.”

-ABC News’ Aaron Katersky and Josh Margolin

Israel will have a ‘significant response,’ Israeli official says

Israel will have a “significant response” to Iran’s attack, an Israeli official told ABC News.

“What Iran has suffered so far is only a promo,” the official said.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

No additional threats from Iran at this time, no casualties reported: IDF

The Israeli military does not see any additional threats at this time from Iran, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said.

Hagari said they have carried out a “large number of interceptions.” There were a “few hits” in the south and officials are assessing the damage, though there are no reported casualties, he added.

“We are on high alert both defensively and offensively,” he said. “We will defend the citizens of the State of Israel. This attack will have consequences.”

US says it has intercepted Iranian missiles

The U.S. has intercepted some of the Iranian missiles launched against Israel, but how many is unclear, an official told ABC News.

“In accordance with our ironclad commitment to Israel’s security, U.S. forces in the region are currently defending against Iranian-launched missiles targeting Israel,” the official said. “Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect U.S. forces operating in the region.”

-ABC News’ Matthew Seyler

Biden says US prepared to help Israel defend against Iranian attack

President Joe Biden said Tuesday the U.S. is prepared to help Israel defend against the Iranian missile attack.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are monitoring the Iranian attack from the White House Situation Room and receiving regular updates from their national security team. Biden directed the U.S. military to aid Israel’s defense against Iranian attacks and shoot down missiles.

Before the attack began, he posted on X that he and Vice President Kamala Harris had convened their national security team.

He said as well that the U.S. was ready to protect American personnel in the region.

Read more on the response from the Biden administration.

Lindsey Graham calls Iran’s missile attack ‘breaking point’

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina condemned Iran’s missile attack on Israel, calling it a “breaking point” on Tuesday and urging President Joe Biden’s administration to respond.

“This missile attack against Israel should be the breaking point and I would urge the Biden Administration to coordinate an overwhelming response with Israel, starting with Iran’s ability to refine oil,” Graham said in a statement.

Graham called for oil refineries to be “hit and hit hard” and said his prayers are “with the people of Israel.”

-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin

Iran confirms responsibility, says launches retaliation for assassinations

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said moments ago the missile attack was a retaliation for different assassinations carried out by Israel, Mehr News Agency reported.

The IRGC said the operation will continue if Israel does not stop, Mehr News Agency reported.

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, a key ally of Iran, was killed in a strike in Beirut last week, while a top member of the IRGC was also killed.

IDF warns some citizens to enter ‘protected space’

Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari issued remarks Tuesday evening, announcing that missiles had been launched from Iran toward Israel.

He said messages have been sent to cellphones, warning Israeli citizens in certain areas to enter “protected space” and to seek shelter if they hear sirens.

Hagari added that if citizens hear explosions, they may be the result of interceptions or impacts.

“We are strong and can handle this event as well,” Hagari said. “The IDF is doing and will continue to do everything necessary to protect the civilians of Israel. The IDF is fully prepared for both defense and offense at peak readiness.”

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Flights diverting near Iran

Several flights near Iran are diverting ahead of expected missile launches at targets in Israel.

Several Lufthansa flights and one Swiss Air flight were diverted back to Frankfurt, Germany, and Turkey as they approached Iranian air space.

-ABC News’ Sam Sweeney

IDF says missiles launched from Iran toward Israel

Israel said missiles have been launched from Iran toward Israel.

Sirens are sounding across the country.

Israel expecting 240-250 missiles from Iran: Sources

Iran is expected to launch 240 to 250 missiles in two waves at four targets in Israel, including Mossad headquarters and three air bases, according to an Israeli source and a senior U.S. administration official.

Israel is not expected to launch a preemptive strike, according to the U.S. administration official. It should take the missiles less than 15 minutes to reach targets once launched.

The U.S. and Israel have all defenses activated, and Israel will “absolutely “ retaliate after it happens,” the official said.

The total number of ballistic missiles is about double the number launched by Iran in April — 99% of which were intercepted.

-ABC News’ Martha Raddatz

Israeli forces issue warning for residents to stay near shelter in greater Tel Aviv

The Israel Defense Forces issued a warning for residents of the “Dan area,” referring to the greater Tel Aviv area, to stay “near a shelter until further notice.”

Sirens sounded in central Israel, the IDF said in a second statement, after issuing the warning to stay in shelters. The sirens sounding in central Israel were due to launches from Lebanon, the IDF told ABC News.

“From this moment, Israelis living in central Israel are advised to stay by their safe rooms. Enter them during sirens and stay there until further notice,” IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in Hebrew.

-ABC News’ Dana Savir, Anna Burd and Jordana Miller

US Embassy in Jerusalem issues ‘shelter in place’ order

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem issued a statement directing all government employees and their family members “to shelter in place until further notice,” following reports of an imminent Iranian missile attack on Israel.

The embassy noted the “continued need for caution and increased personal security awareness as security incidents, including mortar and rocket fire and unmanned aircraft system,” which it said “often take place without warning.”

“The security environment remains complex and can change quickly depending on the political situation and recent events,” it added.

Netanyahu warns Israelis of ‘testing days ahead’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged unity among Israelis in a video statement published Tuesday, as Israel Defense Forces operations in Lebanon expanded and amid fears of an imminent Iranian missile attack.

“We are in the midst of a campaign against Iran’s ‘Axis of Evil,'” the prime minister said. “These are days of great achievements and great challenges.”

The “great achievements,” Netanyahu said, included the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a Beirut airstrike last week, plus the defeat of an alleged Hezbollah plan to launch an infiltration attack into northern Israel.

The country still faces “big challenges,” he continued.

“What I ask of you is two things: One — to strictly obey the directives of the front-line command, it saves lives. And second — to stand together. We will stand firm together in the testing days ahead.”

“Together we will stand, together we will fight and together we will win.”

–ABC News Joe Simonetti and Jordana Miller

Iran to launch ballistic missiles at Israel ‘imminently,’ US official says

A senior White House official told ABC News on Tuesday that the U.S. “has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel.”

“We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack,” the official added.

“A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran,” the official said.

Israeli special ops teams active in Lebanon for almost a year, IDF says

Israel special operations teams have been operating in southern Lebanon since November, an Israeli security source said Tuesday, conducting around 70 missions in groups of 20 to 40 operators.

The troops spent around 200 nights inside Lebanon, making it the most intense series of special operations missions in Israel’s history, the official said.

The units operated between 1 and 2 miles inside Lebanese territory, the official said, blowing up and dismantling hundreds of Hezbollah facilities including tunnels.

Some tunnels doubled as weapons caches and others stretched to the Israeli border. Officials said on Tuesday they believed Hezbollah was planning an imminent “Oct.7-style invasion” of northern Israel.

The security source claimed that Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force was at times as little as six hours from launching such an attack. ABC News was not immediately able to independently verify the official’s claims.

The Israeli special operations units operating in southern Lebanon encountered almost no resistance, the official said, and did not suffer any casualties.

Though some 2,000 Radwan troops are believed to be present within 3 miles of Israel’s border — and between 6,000 and 8,000 in southern Lebanon in total — they have not been fighting.

“During these operations, the troops also collected valuable intelligence and methodically dismantled the weapons and compounds, including underground infrastructure and advanced weaponry of Iranian origin,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

“Some of the weapons were recovered and taken by the soldiers back into Israeli territory.”

Airstrike hits southern Beirut suburb

The southern Beirut suburb of Dahiya was hit by a fresh airstrike early on Tuesday, as Israeli warplanes continued to bomb targets across Lebanon in pursuit of Hezbollah members and resources.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Tuesday that the previous 24 hours saw at least 95 people killed and 172 wounded by Israeli strikes in Lebanon’s southern regions, the eastern Bekaa Valley and Beirut.

Hezbollah disputes Israel’s incursion claims

Israeli claims that its soldiers began ground operations inside southern Lebanon “are false,” Hezbollah said in a Tuesday statement.

“No direct ground clashes have yet taken place between the resistance fighters and the occupation forces,” the group said, referring to Israeli troops.

“The resistance fighters are ready for a direct confrontation with the enemy forces that dare or attempt to enter Lebanese territory and inflict the greatest losses on them,” the group added.

Beirut not a target of Israeli ground incursion, official says

The Israel Defense Forces’ operation in southern Lebanon is occurring “right by the border” with no intention of pushing towards the capital Beirut, an Israeli security official said during a Tuesday briefing.

The IDF has three goals, the official said.

The first is to remove the threat of cross-border fire at Israeli citizens, they said. The second is to target senior militant leaders planning such attacks, the official added.

The third goal is to create a situation in which tens of thousands of displaced Israelis can return to their homes in the north of the country.

“We’re talking about limited, localized, targeted rates based on precise intelligence in areas near the border,” the official said when asked about the scope of the operation.

Beirut, they added, is not on the table, though airstrikes are expected to continue across the country and in the capital.

“We’re talking about Hezbollah embedding itself in the Lebanese villages, right by the border,” they said.

“We’re operating at the moment according to the mission we received from the political echelon. We’re acting in a limited area that is focusing on the villages right by the border,” they explained.

IDF claims Hezbollah was planning ‘invasion’ of Israel

Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Israeli troops were engaged in “limited and targeted raids” in southern Lebanon as of Tuesday morning, alleging that Hezbollah was planning “an Oct. 7-style invasion” into Israeli homes.

“Hezbollah turned Lebanese villages next to Israeli villages into military bases,” ​​Hagari said. “Hezbollah planned to invade Israel, attack Israeli communities and massacre innocent men, women and children.”

“I want to make it clear: our war is with Hezbollah, not with the people of Lebanon,” Hagari continued. “We do not want to harm Lebanese civilians, and we’re taking measures to prevent that.”

More than 700 people were killed by an intensified Israeli airstrike campaign across Lebanon last week. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported 95 people killed and 172 people by strikes on Monday. Israeli bombing continued overnight into Tuesday morning, including in the capital Beirut.

UK charters flight for citizens in Lebanon, urges Britons to ‘leave now’

The British government announced Monday that it chartered a commercial flight out of Lebanon for citizens wishing to leave the country.

British nationals, their spouse or partner and children under the age of 18 are eligible, a Foreign Office press release said. “Vulnerable” citizens will be prioritized, it added.

The flight is scheduled to depart Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Wednesday.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the situation in the country “is volatile and has potential to deteriorate quickly.”

“The safety of British nationals in Lebanon continues to be our utmost priority,” he added.

“That’s why the U.K. government is chartering a flight to help those wanting to leave. It is vital that you leave now as further evacuation may not be guaranteed,” he said.

IDF reports ‘heavy fighting’ in Lebanon border areas

Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee — the Israel Defense Forces’ spokesperson for Arab media — warned residents of southern Lebanon on Tuesday morning that “heavy fighting” is now underway in the region.

“Hezbollah elements,” he said, are “using the civilian environment and the population as human shields to launch attacks.”

Adraee told residents not to move vehicles from the north to the south of the Litani River, which is around 18 miles north of the Israeli border. Israel previously demanded that all Hezbollah forces withdraw north of the waterway in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolution that sought to end the 2006 border war.

“This warning is in effect until further notice,” Adraee said.

The IDF said Monday that its ground offensive into Lebanon was underway, following a week of punishing airstrikes and targeted killings across the country.

The IDF described the operations as “limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon.”

A senior U.S. official told ABC News that the incursion is expected to be significant but not “major.” Lebanese leaders, meanwhile, are calling for an immediate ceasefire and the implementation of the 2006 U.N. resolution that would see Hezbollah forces leave southern Lebanon.

10 projectiles fired back at Israel from Lebanon amid ground incursion: IDF

After Israeli forces began the ground incursion into southern Lebanon, at least 10 projectiles crossed over into northern Israel, according to the IDF.

“Following the sirens that sounded in the area of Meron in northern Israel, approximately 10 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon,” the IDF said in a statement Monday.

“Some of the projectiles were intercepted and a number of projectiles fell in open areas,” the IDF said.

IDF begins ground incursion into Lebanon

Israeli forces have begun a ground incursion into southern Lebanon, a spokesperson for the IDF said in a statement.

The IDF described the operations as “limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon.”

“The IDF is continuing to operate to achieve the goals of the war and is doing everything necessary to defend the citizens of Israel and return the citizens of northern Israel to their homes,” the statement said.

95 killed, 172 injured in Lebanon from attacks Monday

The death toll in Lebanon from Israeli attacks rose to 95 on Monday with 172 people injured, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said in a post on X.

Ground operations in Lebanon will be significant but not ‘major’: US official

The Israel Defense Forces’ ground movement into Lebanon will be significant but not “major,” a senior U.S. official told ABC News.

The operations will be limited to small unit commando teams, the official said, adding that the teams will have air power backup against Hezbollah fighters.

IDF issues ‘urgent warning’ to residents of southern suburbs of Beirut

The Israeli Defense Forces issued an “urgent warning” Monday to residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut.

In a post on X, the IDF urged people in three neighborhoods — Lilac, Haret Hreik and Burj Al-Barajneh — to evacuate.

“You are located near interests and facilities belonging to the terrorist Hezbollah, and therefore the IDF will act against them forcefully,” the IDF wrote. “For your safety and the safety of your family, you must evacuate the buildings immediately, starting at a distance of no less than 500 meters.”

UNRWA chief denies knowing suspended staffer was Hamas leader in Lebanon

On Monday, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini denied having being aware that staffer Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin had been the head of Hamas’ Lebanon branch.

Abu el-Amin and his family were killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon, a spokesperson for Hamas said Monday.

In his press briefing in Geneva on Monday, Lazzarini said Abu el-Amin had been suspended from his UNRWA position in March after allegations arose that he was involved in Hamas.

-ABC News’ William Gretsky

5 killed, 57 injured in Israeli air strikes on Yemen: Houthi spokesperson

Five people were killed and 57 were injured after Sunday’s Israeli air strikes in Al-Hodeidah, Yemen, the Houthi spokesperson said in a statement Monday.

“This crime will be responded to with escalating military operations against the criminal enemy during the coming period,” the Houthi spokesperson added in his statement.

-ABC News’ Ahmed Baider

12 killed, 20 wounded in Lebanon from attacks Monday

Twelve people have been killed and at least 20 were injured in attacks in Lebanon on Monday, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said.

The number of casualties from strikes in Lebanon on Sunday rose to 118 killed and 376 injured, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

Hezbollah and Israel continued to trade attacks on Monday.

Hezbollah issued 10 statements taking responsibility for various attacks on Monday.

The Israeli Defense Forces said they destroyed a “surface-to-air missile launcher storage facility approximately 1.5 kilometers” from Beirut’s international airport in a release Monday.

-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz and Jordana Miller

Israeli forces conducting ‘training’ near northern border, IDF says

Israeli forces have been “conducting training near the northern border,” the IDF said in a release Monday.

“As part of increasing readiness for combat, IDF soldiers from the 188th Brigade have been conducting training near the northern border and at the command’s headquarters,” the IDF said in the release.

Sinwar goes radio silent in Gaza cease-fire negotiations

Senior Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, one of the key architects of the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, has gone radio silent, according to an official familiar with negotiations to reach a cease-fire and hostage release deal.

Sinwar’s absence has created another hurdle for U.S. officials who are still trying to complete an overdue “final” proposal for a deal.

It has also sparked speculation that Sinwar is dead, but the official said there is no indication that’s the case.

State Department spokesperson Matt Miller spoke about Hamas’ role in delaying a cease-fire proposal during a briefing Monday, but did not weigh in on Sinwar’s status specifically.

“When it comes to Sinwar, I don’t have any update on his condition at all, one way or the other,” he said, before asserting that Hamas has been unwilling to “engage at all” with Egyptian or Qatari mediators “over the past several weeks.”

“So the reason you have not seen us put forward this proposal is we can’t get a clear answer from Hamas of what they’re willing to entertain and what they’re not willing to entertain,” he said. “We’re going to continue to try to work it.”

-ABC News’ Shannon Kingston

More officials say invasion possibly imminent, US fighter jets heading to region for air defense

Israel’s limited ground incursion into Lebanon could be imminent, two more U.S. officials have told ABC News.

One of the officials said Israel notified the U.S. of its intentions.

Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh would not confirm as much when repeatedly asked Monday, but did give new details on the additional forces being sent to the region to potentially defend Israel and its own forces.

“These augmented forces include F-16, F-15E, A-10, F 22 fighter aircraft and associated personnel,” Singh said.

The fighter aircraft are to be used for air defense, such as intercepting missiles if needed, according to Singh. There are “an additional few thousand” troops in the region as part of the augmented force, according to Singh.

-ABC News’ Luis Martinez and Matt Seyler

Israel imminently planning limited ground operation in Lebanon: Senior US official

The U.S. expects Israel to imminently begin a limited ground operation into Lebanon that would be targeted, in order to clear out Hezbollah infrastructure near Israeli border communities and then pull their forces back, according to a senior U.S. official.

This could start “immediately,” according to the senior official.

-ABC News’ Selina Wang

Biden tells Israel to stop when asked about possible Lebanon invasion

Speaking to reporters Monday at the White House, President Joe Biden addressed Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon and reports that they are preparing for a limited ground operation.

The comment, which followed Biden’s remarks on Hurricane Helene, came after a reporter asked if he was aware of and “comfortable” with the possibility of Israel invading Lebanon.

“I’m more aware than you might know, and I’m comfortable with them stopping. We should have a cease-fire now,” Biden replied.

Middle East ‘safer’ without ‘brutal’ Nasrallah, Blinken says

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was “a brutal terrorist, whose many victims included Americans, Israelis, civilians in Lebanon, civilians in Syria and many others as well.”

During a ministerial meeting on defeating ISIS in Washington, D.C., Blinken said Hezbollah under Nasrallah’s leadership “terrorized people across the region and prevented Lebanon from fully moving forward as a country.”

“Lebanon, the region, the world, are safer without him,” Blinken added.

Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut on Friday, marking the most significant blow yet to Hezbollah over almost a year of cross-border conflict with Israel.

Israeli airstrikes are continuing across Lebanon and in the capital. A U.S. official told ABC News on Sunday that small-scale cross-border Israeli ground operations may have already begun, as a prelude to a wider offensive into southern Lebanon in pursuit of Hezbollah targets.

Blinken said the U.S. and its partners would continue to work toward a diplomatic solution “that provides real security to Israel, to Lebanon, and allows citizens on both sides of the border to return to their homes.”

“Diplomacy remains the best and only path to achieving greater stability in the Middle East,” he said. “The United States remains committed to urgently driving these efforts forward.”

-ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston

‘Nowhere’ Israel cannot reach, Netanyahu warns Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed to anti-government sentiment in Iran on Monday, telling the Iranian people: “With every passing moment, the regime is bringing you — the noble Persian people — closer to the abyss.”

“Every day, you see a regime that subjugates you make fiery speeches about defending Lebanon, defending Gaza,” the prime minister said in a video statement posted to social media.

“Yet every day, that regime plunges our region deeper into darkness and deeper into war. Every day, their puppets are eliminated.”

“Ask Mohammed Deif. Ask [Hassan] Nasrallah,” Netanyahu said, referring to the Hamas military commander — whose death the group has not confirmed — and the former Hezbollah leader. Israel claims Deif was killed in Gaza in July, while Nasrallah was killed in Beirut on Friday.

“There is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach,” Netanyahu said.

“Iran’s tyrants don’t care about your future,” Netanyahu continued. “When Iran is finally free — and that moment will come a lot sooner than people think — everything will be different.”

“Our two ancient peoples, the Jewish people and the Persian people, will finally be at peace,” Netanyahu said. “The people of Iran should know — Israel stands with you.”

Tehran has not yet responded to Netanyahu’s statement. But on Monday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said his country would not deploy volunteer troops to Lebanon in response to Israel’s expanding campaign there against Hezbollah.

“We believe that the governments and nations of the region have the necessary ability and authority to defend themselves,” he said. “We have not had any request from anyone, and we know that they do not need deployment of human forces from our side.”

-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Somayeh Malekian

Hamas leader in Lebanon killed in airstrike, IDF says

The Israel Defense Forces said Monday it killed Fatah Sharif Abu al-Amine, the head of Hamas’ Lebanon branch, in an overnight airstrike.

“Sharif was responsible for coordinating Hamas’ terror activities in Lebanon with Hezbollah operatives,” the IDF said in a statement.

“He was also responsible for Hamas’ efforts in Lebanon to recruit operatives and acquire weapons.”

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Joe Simonetti

Deadly strike hits central Beirut for first time in 18 years

An overnight precision strike on an apartment building in the Cola neighborhood was the first such strike in central Beirut for 18 years.

Four people were killed, including three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine militant group.

Israel did not immediately claim the strike but is widely assumed to have carried it out.

-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti

Hezbollah deputy gives first statement since Nasrallah assassination

Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s deputy secretary general, addressed followers Monday in the first leadership statement since Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday.

“The mujahadeen will continue,” Qassem said of the militant group’s fighters, their work informed by “what [Nasrallah] designed.”

Qassem did not announce a replacement for Nasrallah, but said Hezbollah’s next leader will be chosen “sooner rather than later.”

Details of Nasrallah’s funeral are still unconfirmed. A three-day mourning period in Lebanon began on Monday.

-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz and Joe Simonetti

IDF confirms new attacks on Hezbollah targets

The Israel Defense Forces said it carried out an operation against more Hezbollah targets early Monday morning local time.

The Israeli Air Force attacked targets in the Bekaa region of Lebanon, the IDF said in a statement.

Targets included launchers and buildings where the IDF said weapons were held.

The Israeli Air Force also attacked what it said were military buildings in southern Lebanon.

-ABC News Will Gretsky

At least 105 people killed Sunday in Lebanon: Ministry of Health

The death toll in Lebanon as a result of Israeli airstrikes Sunday rose to 105, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

Nearly 360 individuals were wounded in the strikes, the ministry reported.

The strikes occurred in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa, Baalbek-Hermel and the southern suburbs of Beirut (Dahieh), according to the ministry.

Netanyahu announces former rival Gideon Sa’ar joined Israeli cabinet

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed opposition lawmaker Gideon Sa’ar to rejoin his cabinet, the politicians announced in a joint statement Sunday.

Sa’ar will serve in the Security Cabinet, according to Netanyahu.

“I appreciate the fact that Gideon Sa’ar responded to my request and agreed today to return to the government,” Netanyahu said, noting how the leaders have put aside their disagreements.

“We will work together, and I intend to use him in the forums that influence the conduct of the war,” Netanyahu added.

Sa’ar was once a member of Netanyahu’s Likud Party but defected after an unsuccessful bid for party leadership. He formed his own party in 2020 called New Hope.

“I am joining the government at this stage without a coalition agreement – but with an orderly worldview and with a strong patriotic attitude for our people,” Sa’ar said in the joint statement.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(LONDON) — After nearly a year of bloodshed and upheaval, the return of some 70,000 displaced Israeli residents from the regions along the country’s border with Lebanon became one of the most politically pressing issues facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government, even as they wage a simultaneous war against Hamas in Gaza.

As of Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces claimed to have launched “limited, localized, and targeted ground raids” in the south of the country in pursuit of this goal. Two divisions — the 98th Paratroopers Division and the 36th Division — are currently involved in the operation, supported by a variety of armored, artillery, commando and infantry brigades, as well as the Israeli air force, the IDF said.

This week’s incursions followed a months-long campaign of targeted killings — “eliminations” in Israeli military and intelligence parlance — and airstrikes that Israel said were intended to degrade Hezbollah’s command hierarchy and infrastructure.

Now, Israeli forces — according to an Israeli security official — have three goals: the removal of the threat of cross-border fire, the targeting of senior militant leaders and the return of displaced Israelis to their homes.

The IDF revealed this week that special forces troops have been operating just inside southern Lebanon for almost a year, destroying fortified Hezbollah positions, weapons caches and tunnels — some of which stretched all the way to the Israeli border.

Hezbollah rockets and drones have posed a constant threat to border regions since Oct. 8, when the Iranian-backed terror group began its cross-border attacks on Israel’s northern communities and nearby military positions.

Hezbollah began its operations the day after Hamas’ Oct. 7 raid on Israel’s south, which left around 1,200 people dead and 250 taken to Gaza as hostages. Hezbollah said the attacks were in solidarity with Hamas and vowed to continue attacks until Israel agreed to a cease-fire in Gaza.

Israel’s subsequent war on Gaza has killed more than 46,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. Israeli military action in Lebanon has killed more than 1,900 people since Oct. 8, according to Lebanese authorities. The United Nations said around 630 Palestinians have also been killed by Israeli settlers and security forces in the West Bank over the past year, with 15 Israelis also killed.

Last month, Netanyahu officially included the return of displaced northern residents in the country’s list of wartime goals. 

“I’ve already said, we will return residents of the north safely to their homes,” Netanyahu said. “And that is exactly what we will do.”

The return of these residents remains the prime public justification for Israel’s evolving military operations in Lebanon.

Israel’s grievances date back to the last cross-border war in 2006. After around a month of fierce fighting, the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved Resolution 1701 in a bid to end the conflict.

That resolution stipulated that Israeli forces would leave Lebanon while all Hezbollah forces would withdraw north of the Litani River, some 18 miles from the Israeli border. The Lebanese military would take over control of the vacated area. Ultimately, though, Hezbollah did not withdraw.

Israel has long been pressing Hezbollah to adhere to Resolution 1701. Leaders in Beirut — where Hezbollah wields major political influence through its parliamentary arm — said they still support enforcing the resolution. But Israeli patience for a diplomatic solution appears to be exhausted.

An Israeli security official said during a Tuesday briefing that the nascent ground operation is occurring “right by the border” with no intention of pushing towards the capital Beirut.

“We’re talking about limited, localized, targeted rates based on precise intelligence in areas near the border,” the official said when asked about the limits of the operation.

Meanwhile, repeated IDF airstrikes on the capital Beirut and elsewhere in Lebanon continue. The IDF said it is targeting Hezbollah weapon storage sites, arms manufacturing facilities and leading militants.

Many residents of the southern suburbs have been displaced by bombing and IDF evacuation orders, some spending nights sleeping on the capital’s streets and beaches.

Several security sources told ABC News that the ground operation is expected to last no longer than a few weeks.

A key goal is the seizure of a ridge some 3 miles north of the Israeli border. From there, Hezbollah units have a line of sight into Israel to fire weapons including anti-tank missiles.

Planners also want to destroy any Hezbollah military infrastructure that could be used to infiltrate into Israel or attack northern communities.

IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari claimed on Tuesday that Hezbollah was planning an Oct. 7-style “invasion” of northern communities.

Officials said that infrastructure includes tunnels, fortified positions and weapons caches close to the border, storing arms like rocket-propelled grenades, small arms, bulletproof vests, motorcycles and anti-tank missiles.

Hezbollah tunnels are not the same as Hamas tunnels, officials said. The former are built into the rocky terrain of southern Lebanon, as opposed to the soft clay sand of Gaza. This means they are shorter, not networked and mostly used for rocket batteries, weapons caches and trenches.

Some tanks and D-9 armored bulldozers are expected to be used in Lebanese villages close to the border, suggesting the IDF intends to level homes and buildings. Most of the operation will be conducted by infantry forces, the officials said.

The IDF has ordered the residents of around 50 Lebanese villages to evacuate north of the Awali River, around 37 miles from Israel’s border. The IDF also warned civilians not to use vehicles to travel south of the Litani River, which is 18 miles from the Israeli border.

Israeli leaders have not set out a timeline for the ground incursion, nor specified whether Israel intends to retain control over any Lebanese territory.

Israel sought to deter Iran from coming to the aid of its Lebanese allies. 

“There is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach,” Netanyahu said in a statement addressed to the Iranian people on Monday. 

One day later, Tehran launched a massive ballistic missile barrage towards Israel in its second direct attack since Oct. 7.

Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders vowed a punishing response. Iran, the prime minister said, “made a big mistake” and “will pay for it.”

Hezbollah — though ravaged by Israeli assassinations and airstrikes in recent weeks — vowed to resist. The group is still firing rockets toward residential areas in Israel, including Tel Aviv.

“The resistance fighters are ready for a direct confrontation with the enemy forces that dare or attempt to enter Lebanese territory and inflict the greatest losses on them,” the group said in a statement.

Eight IDF troops were killed in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, marking the first known Israeli losses of the war on Lebanese territory.

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