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Israeli special forces are said to be conducting small-group raids into southern Lebanon to gather intelligence on Hezbollah positions, with Israel’s defence minister hinting at a ground invasion.
Yoav Gallant was quoted by Iasraeli media as telling armoured corps troops near the Lebanon border: “To return the resident of the north safely to their homes we will activate all our capabilities - including you.”
"We will use all the forces from the air, sea and land," he added.
It comes as the deputy leader of Hezbollah vowed to be ready for an Israeli invasion.
In his first speech since Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah over the weekend, the group’s deputy chief Naim Qassem said he was confident Hezbollah could push Israeliforces back like during the war in 2006.
“We are confident the Israeli enemy will not achieve its aims,” Qassem said. “We will confront any possibility and are ready if Israel decides to enter by land.”
Israel intensified its airstrikes on Monday, hitting central Beirut for the first time since 2006, while also killing Hamas’s leader in Lebanon in the southern city of Tyre.
Key Points
- Israeli special forces ‘conducting Lebanon raids'
- Hezbollah deputy leader speaks for first time since Nasrallah death, vows to defeat Israel
- Israel strikes central Beirut for the first time in almost two decades
- Israeli strikes kill Hamas leader in Lebanon and three Palestinian leaders in Beirut
- More than 1,000 people killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon
Here are some of the latest photos from Lebanon
Gallant meets troops
More from the Israeli defence minister, Yoav Gallant, during his visit to see troops on the Lebanese border.
In a short video, he is seen telling troops that "we will use all the abilities we have and if someone on the other side did not understand what all the abilities mean - it's all the abilities.
"And you are part of this effort, we trust you to be able to accomplish anything."
“Everything that needs to be done – will be done," Mr Gallant adds. "We will use all the forces from the air, sea and land".
Chris Stevenson30 September 2024 12:35 1727694648Israel special forces ‘conduct raids' in Lebanon
Israel has been launching small special forces raids into southern Lebanon as part of a potential ground offensive, according to a number of reports.
Israel officials told NBC News and The Telegraph that they are designed to gather intelligence and probe Hezbollah’s positions. The official went on to say that such operations have been going on for months and do not necessarily signal the imminent start of a ground assault.
But when taken with the words of Mr Gallant mentioned in the previous post, it is clear that Israel is preparing for some form of operation.
Chris Stevenson30 September 2024 12:10 1727694106Israel defence minister hints at ground operation against Hezbollah - media
Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant appeared to hint on Monday at a possible ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to reports in the Israeli media.
Gallant was cited by several news outlets as telling armoured corps troops near the Lebanese border: “Nasrallah’s elimination is an important step but it is not the end - to return the resident of the north safely to their homes we will activate all our capabilities - including you.”
Berlin says Nasrallah killing was Israeli self defence
Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in a powerful airstrike in Beirut constituted a use of its right to defend itself, a German foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.
“Hezbollah is of course a terrorist organization and it was obviously a meeting of the top leadership of Hezbollah, from which one can assume, even from a distance, that they were planning their further operations,” the spokesperson said.
“So in this respect, there are also reasons to believe that the right to self-defence was exercised here,” he added.
Asked about the civilian deaths in the incident, the spokesperson said “every civilian victim is one civilian victim too many.”
Tom Watling30 September 2024 11:29 1727690592Strike hits central Beirut as Hezbollah reels from Israel's elimination of much of its top command
Strike hits central Beirut as Hezbollah reels from Israel's elimination of much of its top command
An airstrike has leveled an apartment building and killed three Palestinian militants in central Beirut, as Israel appeared to send a clear message that no part of Lebanon is out of bounds
Tom Watling30 September 2024 11:03 1727689692Lebanon's Hezbollah will pick new leader at earliest opportunity, says its deputy chief
Lebanon’s Hezbollah will choose a successor to its slain secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah “at the earliest opportunity” and will continue the fight against Israel, the Iran-backed group’s deputy chief Naim Qassem said on Monday.
He said the group was continuing its operations, working according to plans already laid out, and described its attacks thus far as the “minimum”, adding that the battle could be long.
Tom Watling30 September 2024 10:48 1727688676Hezbollah is ‘ready’ to fight Israel, vows deputy chief
We have some quotes from Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qassem’s first speech since his superior Hassan Nasrallah was killed over the weekend.
“We are confident the Israeli enemy will not achieve its aims,” Qassem said. “We will confront any possibility and are ready if Israel decides to enter by land.”
More than 100,000 people cross from Lebanon into Syria, UN refugee agency says
More than 100,000 people have crossed into Syria from Lebanon since a conflict between Israeli forces and the Hezbollah militia escalated this month, the United Nations refugee agency chief said on Monday.
Filippo Grandi said on social media platform X that those fleeing included both Lebanese and Syrian nationals. The UN agency is assisting those arriving at four crossing points, he added.
Tom Watling30 September 2024 10:29 1727688023Hezbollah deputy leader speaks for first time since Nasrallah death
Hezbollah’s deputy chief Naim Qassem is giving his first public address since the group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in a series of Israeli strikes over the weekend.
He has vowed that Hezbollah will defeat Israel and that they are ready to go to war.
Tom Watling30 September 2024 10:20 Newer1 / 7Older
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