MONITORING (SW) – Israeli soldiers have entered Lebanon in a huge escalation of events which global leaders fear could lead to a wider war in the Middle East.
The southern suburbs of the capital Beirut are also being bombarded by warplanes, with thousands told to evacuate, as soldiers began their ground invasion of the country’s southern border in the early hours of Tuesday morning local time, reported BBC.
Hezbollah, the political and paramilitary group which effectively runs swathes of the country, has said it “is ready” to defend its territory.
On the ground in Beirut, loud explosions were reported as Israeli strikes targeted Hezbollah’s stronghold in the southern suburbs. The Israel Defence Forces has earlier warned residents to evacuate three areasin southern Beirut.
A statement from the Israeli army has clarified that its troops in Lebanon were carrying out “limited, localized and targeted” raids against Hezbollah in the border area, which is known to be a stronghold for the group.
This reportedly involves air and drone strikes, as well as an intense exchange of fire.
The invasion was timed alongside what appears to be an airstrike on “hostile targets” in another Middle Eastern country, Syria, with explosions heard in the capital Damascus.
The US and other western and Middle East nations have repeatedly tried to discourage Israel from widening its conflict with Hezbollah, particularly by pushing into Lebanon, out of concern out of the casualties and damage it could cause fears it could start a wider conflict.
Lebanese officials report that 1,000 people have been killed in the last two weeks and nearly a million may now be displaced.
