Israeli soldiers stationed at the border with Lebanon, March 12, 2026. (Credit: Shir Torem/Reuters)
SOUTH LEBANON — Israel announced "having launched limited and targeted ground operations against key Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, with the aim of reinforcing the forward defense zone," in a post on X.
Israel declared through its Arabic-speaking spokesman, Avichay Adraee, that "in recent days, [its] soldiers from the 91st division have begun limited and targeted ground operations against key Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon," aiming to "reinforce the forward defense zone" in Lebanese territory, along the border between northern Israel and southern Lebanon.
Adraee indicated that "these activities are part of broader defensive efforts" and include the dismantling of Hezbollah infrastructure in the area, ultimately to "create an additional layer of security" for residents of northern Israel.
The army specified that before its soldiers entered the sector, it had "carried out artillery and air strikes against numerous targets."
Fierce fighting has been raging in southern Lebanon for several days between Hezbollah fighters and the Israeli army, particularly around strategic villages such as Khiam, in the Marjayoun district.
The South also experienced, from Sunday night to Monday, a particularly violent night, marked by a series of Israeli air strikes and intense artillery fire targeting numerous localities, alongside calls from some municipalities to evacuate several villages, as was the case in Ansar and Doueir (Nabatieh) in the evening, our correspondent in the region, reports.
At the same time, Hezbollah claimed a series of attacks against Israeli army positions and gatherings. Until midnight on Sunday, the Israeli air force carried out strikes against 29 localities in southern Lebanon, with several villages targeted repeatedly, while drones attacked three localities. In addition, 17 localities were subject to intense artillery fire hitting their neighborhoods and surroundings. White phosphorus bombs were also fired on Khiam.
Reporting by our correspondent, Mountasser Abdallah.
