Hezbollah Says Fighters Clash With Israeli Forces as Israel Expands Lebanon Ground Operations
Israeli army renews evacuation warnings for Nabatieh after intensifying strikes that killed dozens across southern and eastern Lebanon
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Hezbollah said on Wednesday that its fighters engaged in close-range clashes with Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, as Israel continued expanding its military operations despite a fragile ceasefire.
In a statement, the Iran-backed group said its fighters confronted Israeli forces “at point-blank range” using light and medium weapons in the town of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, located north of the Litani River near an Israeli-designated “yellow line” zone where troops have been operating.
Hezbollah said fighting had been ongoing since early Tuesday as Israeli troops attempted to enter the strategically important town, which lies about six kilometers from the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh.
The clashes came a day after the Israeli military announced it was broadening its ground campaign in southern Lebanon while intensifying airstrikes across the south and east of the country.
According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli strikes on Tuesday killed at least 31 people, despite the ceasefire agreement that had aimed to contain hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
On Wednesday, the Israeli army renewed evacuation warnings for residents of Nabatieh after issuing similar orders a day earlier, saying it would continue acting “forcefully” against Hezbollah, which Israel accuses of violating the truce.
An Israeli military official said Tuesday that troops had begun operating beyond the “yellow line,” an area extending roughly 10 kilometers inside Lebanese territory where civilians had previously been warned not to return.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said operations in Lebanon were being intensified as part of efforts to secure Israel’s northern frontier.
“The Israeli army is operating with substantial forces on the ground and securing strategically dominant positions. We are reinforcing the security buffer zone in order to protect the communities of northern Israel,” Netanyahu said.
The renewed escalation highlights the growing strain on the ceasefire arrangement reached earlier this year, amid fears that continued fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border could trigger a broader regional confrontation involving Iran-backed groups across the Middle East.