Israel begins ground operations in Lebanon, advances in key positions as Hezbollah attacks

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the offices of Al-Qard al-Hassan, a Hezbollah-linked financial institution, in the city of Baalbeck in Lebanon's Bekaa valley on March 2, 2026. (Photo by Nidal SOLH / AFP)

Israel has deployed more troops along its Lebanon border amid intensified clashes with Hezbollah. The move aims to protect border communities, not signal a ground invasion. Air strikes and attacks have displaced thousands, escalating regional tensions.

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Israel has moved additional troops to positions along its northern border with Lebanon as fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah intensifies amid the wider regional conflict. The Israeli military said the deployments were part of a “forward defence” effort to protect border communities from potential attacks.

According to the Israeli military, soldiers have been positioned at several points along the border in southern Lebanon to strengthen defensive positions.

“We have positioned soldiers on the border area in additional points to defend our civilians, to prevent Hezbollah from attacking them,” Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told journalists during a briefing.

Shoshani stressed that the move should not be viewed as a ground invasion. “This is not a ground operation. This is a tactical measure to ensure the safety of our people,” he said.

Israel orders control of more positions

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed that the government had authorised the military to expand its presence in Lebanon after attacks from Hezbollah.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have authorized the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to advance and take control of additional strategic positions in Lebanon in order to prevent attacks on Israeli border communities,” Katz said in a statement.

The escalation comes as Hezbollah joined Iran in attacking Israel following US and Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Israel has responded with large-scale strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, particularly in the southern suburbs of Beirut and across southern parts of the country.

Hezbollah strikes Israeli bases

Hezbollah said on Tuesday it carried out attacks on several Israeli military sites in response to Israeli air raids on its strongholds.

In separate statements, the group said it launched attack drones at the Ramat David airbase and the Meron monitoring base in northern Israel. It also said it fired a rocket barrage targeting the Naffakh base, also known as Camp Yitzhak, in the occupied Golan Heights.

Hezbollah said the attacks were conducted “in response to the criminal Israeli aggression on dozens of Lebanese cities and towns”.

The militant group also claimed that Israel had struck two of its media outlets overnight. Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television network said its Beirut headquarters had been targeted, while Israel also reportedly struck the offices of Hezbollah’s Al-Nour radio broadcaster.

In a statement, Hezbollah condemned the attacks on what it described as “two civilian media outlets”, saying they were intended to silence “the voice and image of the resistance”.

Air strikes hit Beirut

Israeli air strikes continued across Lebanon on Tuesday, particularly in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Residents had earlier been issued evacuation warnings before the attacks.

AFP photographers reported seeing large plumes of smoke rising above the capital’s southern districts after several buildings were hit.

The Israeli military also said it had begun a new round of “simultaneous strikes in Tehran and Beirut” as the regional conflict expanded.

Lebanon redeploys troops

As tensions escalated, the Lebanese army redeployed troops in the border region following what officials described as an Israeli escalation, according to an army source who spoke to AFP.

The conflict has also triggered a humanitarian impact in parts of Lebanon. Lebanese authorities said around 29,000 people have been displaced from areas affected by Israeli strikes.

Lebanon was drawn further into the regional war after Hezbollah launched an initial attack on Israel on Monday. The group said the assault was meant to “avenge” the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during the recent US and Israeli strikes.

Israel responded quickly with intensified air raids across Lebanon, while the Lebanese government announced an immediate ban on Hezbollah’s military activities in an effort to limit further escalation.

The exchange of attacks marks a new phase in the rapidly expanding conflict involving Iran, Israel, Hezbollah and the United States, raising fears that the fighting could spread across multiple fronts in the Middle East.