Soldiers operating in Lebanon: Israel

The Israeli military on Tuesday said soldiers are “operating in southern Lebanon” as it continues strikes against Hezbollah.

In a statement, it said the troops are positioned at several points near the border in what it described as a “forward defence posture” as it battles Hezbollah militants. It says the deployment is part of a broader effort to increase security for residents in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon. It has also beefed up troops and air defences in the area.

The army says there are no plans to evacuate Israeli residents of border areas.

Israel has been occupying five positions in Lebanon since a November 2024 ceasefire ended more than a year of fighting with Hezbollah. Lt Col Nadav says the new deployment is in addition to those five positions, with the aim of preventing attacks on Israeli border towns. Netanyahu late Monday defended the decision to go to war, contending in an interview on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity” that Iran was rebuilding “new sites, new places” that would make “their ballistic missile program and their atomic bomb program immune within months,” without providing evidence.