Israel soldiers (IDF) entered southern Lebanon as part of a ground assault on Monday night while the conflict with Hezbollah continued to escalate.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday, “agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hezbollah cannot conduct October 7-style attacks on Israel’s northern communities.”
Israel’s military said that the soldiers will be carrying out “a methodical plan set out by the General Staff and the Northern Command, which soldiers have trained and prepared for in recent months.”
Meanwhile, US has deployed further military assets to deter Iran from retaliating as tensions increasingly escalate between Israel and Hezbollah.
The US Defense Department has planned on increasing the amount of Air Force F-15E, F-16, and A-10 warplanes it has deployed in the Middle East.
The Marine Amphibious Ready Group, consisting of some 2,200 Marines and soldiers, will be prepared to deploy more forces if needed.
The Lebanese capital was reportedly struck on Monday morning, and on Friday – which saw the elimination of Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah along with a number of other Hezbollah members.