Pallade Veneta - Israel says ground forces raid south Lebanon, escalating conflict

The scope of the Israeli offensive was not immediately clear, with the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon saying it did not amount to a "ground incursion" and Hezbollah denying any troops had crossed the border.

As regional tensions soar, a senior White House official told AFP that "the United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel".

The Israeli military said it had not detected any "aerial threat" from Iran "for now" but stood ready to "defend and attack".

Since an army statement early Tuesday confirmed troops had started "targeted ground raids" in south Lebanon, across Israel's northern border, officials have provided few details of the extent of the operation or its timeframe.

An Israeli security official said localised raids had taken place and that they were limited in scope. A Lebanese army source told AFP the force had "not observed any penetration by Israeli enemy forces into Lebanese territory".

There was no way to immediately verify the claims, which came as Israel struck south Beirut, Damascus and Gaza, despite international calls for restraint to avoid a regional conflagration.

"We fear a large-scale ground invasion by Israel into Lebanon would only result in greater suffering," said UN human rights office spokeswoman Liz Throssell.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned the fight was far from over, even after a massive strike on Beirut killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Friday, dealing a heavy blow to the Iran-backed group.

Israel seeks to dismantle Hezbollah's military capabilities and restore security to the north, where tens of thousands have been displaced by nearly a year of cross-border fire.

To "enable the continuation of operational activity against the Hezbollah", the military later announced it was calling up four additional brigades to the border.

Only hours before the Israeli military's initial announcement, Hezbollah said it was "ready if Israel decides to enter by land".

- 'Stop Israel' -

The Lebanese group, which suffered heavy losses in a spate of attacks last month, said it targeted the Israeli military intelligence base of Glilot, near Tel Aviv, on Tuesday, as air raid sirens sounded and blasts rang out in the coastal city.

The Israeli military said projectiles were fired from Lebanon into the northern Israeli towns of Avivim and Metula, where Hezbollah said it targeted "enemy soldiers" with artillery.

The military also announced tighter restrictions on public gatherings across the country, possibly in anticipation of more intense violence.

World leaders called for de-escalation after Israel announced the launch of ground operation.

China said it opposed "infringements on Lebanon's sovereignty", while Russia said it "calls on the Israeli authorities to immediately cease hostilities" and "withdraw their troops".

"We should have a ceasefire now," said Biden, whose government is Israel's top arms provider.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the international community to "stop Israel without wasting any more time".

Lebanon's official National News Agency said an Israeli air strike on Ain al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp on Tuesday killed six people.

It also reported Israeli shelling of border communities which killed 10 people from the same family, including at least two children, in Daoudieh village.

Elsewhere, Syria's official news agency SANA said air defences had intercepted three rounds of strikes in the Damascus area.

State television said anchor Safaa Ahmad was killed "in the Israeli aggression" on Damascus, while SANA reported three civilians killed and nine others wounded.

There was no immediate comment from Israel, which has carried out hundreds of strikes on Syria in recent years.

- Plea for aid -

Hezbollah began low intensity strikes on Israeli troops a day after its Palestinian ally Hamas staged its unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, which triggered Israel's devastating assault on the Gaza Strip.

Iran has said Nasrallah's killing would bring about Israel's "destruction", though the foreign ministry said Monday that Tehran would not deploy any fighters to confront Israel.

The White House official said Washington was "actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against" the potential Iranian attack.

Austin on Monday warned of "serious consequences for Iran" if Tehran directly attacks Israel.

The Pentagon said the United States was boosting its forces in the Middle East by a "few thousand" troops.

German airline group Lufthansa has extended its suspension of flights to Beirut and Tel Aviv, citing "the current situation in the Middle East", with Dutch airline KLM following suit.

Lebanon's Health Minister Firass Abiad said more than 1,000 people have been killed since September 17.

- Gaza strikes -

In Gaza, the civil defence authority said Israeli bombing killed 12 peopleon Tuesday in the central Nuseirat refugee camp.

Seven others were killed in Israeli strikes on a school sheltering displaced people east of Gaza City.

Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures that include hostages killed in captivity.

Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,638 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to figures provided by the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The UN has described the figures as reliable.

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F.Dodaro--PV