Israel Announces Ground Operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon

Israel’s military announced on Monday 16 March that it had begun launching ground operations against the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, amid an ongoing conflict between Israel and the United States against Iran.

More than two weeks after the Middle Eastern war began, Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin stated that they still had “thousands of targets in Iran, and we identify new targets every day”.

Israel also announced the launch of “limited ground operations” against Iran-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

“This activity is part of a broader defensive effort to build and strengthen our defensive posture,” the Israeli military said, according to news agency AFP on Monday 16 March 2026.

The announcement came several hours after Israel conducted a new strike on the outskirts of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold typically inhabited by hundreds of thousands of people.

Previously, the Israeli military issued an unprecedented evacuation warning for the entire region, triggering a major refugee crisis in Lebanon. The Israeli military also ordered residents throughout southern Lebanon to evacuate.

The war has affected much of the region, with Iran retaliating against Israeli and US attacks by striking at least 10 countries hosting US forces.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on other nations to “exercise restraint from any action that could cause escalation and expansion of the conflict”. He also urged neighbouring countries “to expel foreign aggressors”.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps stated that approximately 700 missiles and 3,600 drones had been fired at US and Israeli targets so far.