Israeli troops enter southern Lebanon

Israeli forces launched a ground incursion into southern Lebanon, the army said, positioning troops at unspecified “strategic points” as part of a “forward defense operation” aimed at reinforcing a security layer for northern communities and striking Hezbollah infrastructure to deter infiltration. The 91st Division was named as operating in the area, with the military framing actions as large-scale measures to prevent attacks across the border.

Hezbollah reported retaliatory strikes, saying it targeted three military bases in northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights with rockets and drones. The group also claimed responsibility for a drone attack on an airbase, saying the operation—launched early on March 3—was in direct response to recent Israeli airstrikes that it said killed dozens of civilians and destroyed infrastructure. Hezbollah characterized its strikes as focused on military sites and a necessary deterrent after what it described as Israeli actions that had “crossed red lines.”

Explosions and large plumes of smoke were observed in Lebanon’s Baabda suburb amid reports of anti-missile systems firing into the sky as cross-border exchanges intensified. Israeli strikes reportedly included an attack on a senior Hezbollah militant in Beirut; Israel has previously declared Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem a “target for elimination.” Lebanese authorities moved to ban Hezbollah military activity, while Israeli officials said they were not, for the time being, considering a full ground invasion of Lebanon.

The escalation comes amid a broader regional conflagration that saw coordinated U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend, in which Iran’s supreme leader and other senior figures were reportedly killed—an action that prompted Iranian retaliatory drone and missile strikes against Israel and Persian Gulf states hosting U.S. assets. Tehran’s strikes and the U.S.-Israeli campaign have further inflamed tensions, with regional actors trading attacks and counterattacks.

Observers warn the situation risks wider spillover across the Levant as military operations between Israel and Hezbollah continue alongside Iranian reprisals. Civilian areas in Lebanon have suffered damage and displacement amid the exchanges, and the prospect of further escalation keeps diplomatic and military communities on high alert as regional and international actors assess next steps to contain or respond to the widening conflict.