Israeli Forces Enter Lebanon, Sparking Hezbollah Strikes

  • Israel says military is conducting ‘targeted ground raids’
  • Sirens sound in Tel Aviv as Hezbollah fires rockets in return
Israeli soldiers work on tanks at a staging area near the border with Lebanon, in northern Israel on Oct. 1.Photographer: Baz Ratner/AP Photo
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Israel sent soldiers into southern Lebanon in a major escalation of its weeks-long campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group, increasing the risk of a wider Middle East conflict.

Troops began what Israel said were “targeted ground raids” shortly before midnight local time alongside airstrikesBloomberg Terminal in Beirut’s southern suburbs, and the army later reported “intense fighting.” Lebanese media said heavy shelling took place in four villages just across the border. There were explosions in the coastal town of Ras Naqoura.