by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – The Israeli military has launched a targeted ground operation in southern Lebanon aimed at dismantling Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure and strengthening security for communities in northern Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Monday that troops from Division 91 recently began limited ground maneuvers against key Hezbollah targets near the Israeli border. The operation is intended to expand the security buffer zone, destroy terror infrastructure, and eliminate militants operating in the area.
Before ground forces entered the region, the Israeli Air Force and artillery units conducted extensive strikes designed to neutralize threats and prepare the battlefield, according to the IDF.
Military officials said Division 91 continues to work alongside Division 146, an IDF reserve formation tasked with defending communities across the Galilee region since Hezbollah entered the broader regional conflict.
Since the start of the campaign against Hezbollah, Israeli forces report that more than 230 terrorists have been eliminated and over 200 Hezbollah positions and pieces of terror infrastructure have been struck.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that the ground maneuver was launched following consultations with senior military officials.
“The IDF has begun a ground maneuver in Lebanon to remove threats and protect the residents of the Galilee and the north,” Katz said.
Katz added that Israel will not permit hundreds of thousands of displaced Shiite residents from southern Lebanon and parts of Beirut to return to areas south of the Litani River until Israeli authorities determine that northern communities are safe.
He also said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the military to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in border villages, comparing the strategy to Israeli operations against Hamas strongholds in Gaza such as Rafah and Beit Hanoun.
The defense minister accused Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem and the group’s leadership of endangering civilians while acting as part of what Israel describes as an Iranian-backed regional alliance targeting the Jewish state.
“Hezbollah will pay a heavy price for its aggression and its role in the Iranian axis seeking to destroy Israel,” Katz said.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump voiced support for Israel’s operation during remarks at a White House event on Monday.
“Hezbollah is a big problem,” Trump said when asked about the Israeli offensive. He added that the Iran-backed militant group is “rapidly being eliminated” and confirmed he had spoken with Israeli leaders about the campaign.
The operation comes amid ongoing regional tensions as Israel continues to confront Iranian-backed militant groups across multiple fronts.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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