Reuters. Israel’s widely expected ground invasion of Lebanon appeared to be getting underway early on Tuesday (October 1) as its military said troops had begun “limited” raids against Hezbollah targets in the border area.

 

The military said in a statement that it had begun “limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence” against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon villages close to the border that posed “an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.”

 

It said the air force and artillery were supporting the ground forces with “precise strikes.”

 

Local residents in the Lebanese border town of Aita al-Shaab reported heavy shelling and the sound of helicopters and drones overhead. Flares were repeatedly launched over the Lebanese border town of Rmeish, lighting up the night sky.

 

The ground invasion represents an escalating conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Iran-backed militants, sparked by an assault on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, that now threatens to suck in the U.S. and Iran.