Israel military begins ground invasion of southern Lebanon
Read the latest on Israel's attack on Lebanon
Here's what you need to know:
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The Israeli military has launched a ground offensive in southern Lebanon, while airstrikes continue across the country, including in the town of Daoudiya, where a strike on a home has killed at least 10 people.
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In Sidon's Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp, the home of Munir al-Maqdah, a brigadier general with the Fatah-aligned al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, was bombed, killing five people.
- Local media reports suggest al-Maqdah has survived the Israeli assassination attempt, but his son was killed in the strike, which marks the first attack – in the current fighting – by Israel on what is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon.
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Local media report that al-Maqdah survived the Israeli assassination attempt, but his son was killed in the strike. This marks the first Israeli attack on Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp in the current conflict.
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In a call with his Israeli counterpart, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warned that Iran would face "serious consequences" if it launched a direct military attack against Israel.
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Israel's widely expected ground invasion of Lebanon appeared to be getting underway early on Tuesday as its military said troops had begun "limited" raids against Hezbollah targets in the border area.
The IDF said in a statement that it had begun "limited, localised, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence" against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon villages close to the border that posed "an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel".
Here are all the latest developments on the ground invasion.
1:05PM
Israel military says commandos, paratroopers part of ground offensive
The Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee said elements of Israel's 98th Division, including the commando, paratrooper and armoured brigades, have begun "targeted and specific activities in the South Lebanon area".
12:35 PM
Hezbollah fires artillery at Israeli troops in Metula
Hezbollah stated that it targeted Israeli forces in Metula with artillery fire but did not address Israel's announcement of launching a ground incursion into Lebanon.
Hezbollah attacked "a movement of enemy soldiers in Metula with artillery shells", it said in a statement. In another, it said it targeted a "gathering of enemy soldiers" in the same area with rockets.
The Israeli army said on X that five rockets were fired this morning from Lebanon towards Metula. Some were intercepted while the rest fell into an open area.
12:20 PM
Israeli military carries out raids, arrests across the West Bank
The Israeli military has carried out a series of raids and arrests in the occupied West Bank, the Wafa news agency reports. Incidents include:
- Ten people were arrested in the town of al-Khader, south of Bethlehem.
- Four men were arrested in the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron.
- One man was arrested in the town of Idhna, west of Hebron.
- The Dheisheh refugee camp, the city of Beit Jala, and the village of Artas have been stormed.
- The village of Baqat al-Hatab, east of Qalqilya, has been stormed.
12:08PM
Difficult for Israel to halt all rocket fire for safe return of citizens: Al Jazeera
According to Al Jazeera, Rodger Shanahan, a former liaison officer with the Australian military during the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, says the Israeli army has "learned lessons" from the last conflict and has been "degrading" Hezbollah for the past year.
"It's much more planned than it was in 2006, much more preparatory work, and Hezbollah has been degraded to a point they weren't in 2006," the Middle East security analyst told Al Jazeera.
With around 30,000 troops positioned along the southern Lebanon border, Shanahan stated that the next military actions will be determined by the level of resistance encountered from Hezbollah.
"The problem is the political aim of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the return of 60,000 Israelis to the north. If you're Hezbollah, it doesn't take many rockets to be fired into the north to make that too dangerous for the Israeli citizens to return," said Shanahan.
"It's very difficult for the military to achieve the political aim. Whether you can make sure the north of Israel is going to be safe for everybody to return is another issue – and that's a political issue as much as it is a military issue."
12:05PM
US officials says Netanyahu 'talked down' from full invasion of Lebanon
The official line is that the US supports this operation, reports Al Jazeera.
According to reports, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was talked into not launching a full-out invasion, and managed to talk him down to this "limited" incursion.
The other official aspect of this is that the US supports Israel and it supports its right to defend itself.
11:50 AM
British maritime security agency reports attack in Red Sea
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported an incident occurring 64 nautical miles (188 km) off the coast of Hodeidah, Yemen.
UKMTO said that "four splashes [were] sighted in close proximity to the vessel", but added that "all crew are safe and the vessel is proceeding". It advised vessels to transit with caution in the area.
The Yemen-based Houthis have vowed to continue targeting Israeli cities and vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden until Israel ceases its military actions in Lebanon and Gaza.
10:45AM
Israeli military bombs home in Lebanese town of al-Dawoudiya, killing 10
The Israeli military bombed a home in the southern Lebanese town of Daoudiya, killing at least 10 people and wounding five others, the Lebanese National News Agency reports.
All of those killed belong to the Diab family, according to the NNA.
We will bring you more information on this attack when we have it.
10:00AM - US defence chief says Iran will face 'serious consequences' if it attacks Israel
In a call with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Washington supported Israel in the "necessity of dismantling [Hezbollah] attack infrastructure along the border" with Lebanon in order to prevent "October 7-style attacks on Israel's northern communities".
Austin also warned Iran of the consequences should it choose to fight with Washington's key ally.
"I reiterated the serious consequences for Iran in the event Iran chooses to launch a direct military attack against Israel," he said.
Austin also said the US military is "well-postured" to defend "US personnel, partners, and allies" in the region in the "face of threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organisations".
9:16AM - Israeli strike targets Fatah commander
An Israeli strike in Lebanon early on Tuesday targeted Mounir Maqdah, a commander of the Lebanese branch of the Palestinian Fatah movement's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, according to two Palestinian security officials.
His fate was unknown.
The strike hit a building in the crowded Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near the southern city of Sidon, the sources said.
It marked the first strike on the camp which is Lebanon's largest of several Palestinian camps since cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel broke out nearly a year ago.
Fatah is the mainstream Palestinian nationalist movement founded in 1965 by late leader Yasser Arafat. It is a secular party and the largest of the various factions that make up the Palestine Liberation Organisation. Hamas is not in the PLO.
9:15AM - Palestinian leader survives Israeli assassination attempt in Lebanon, son killed: Report
Munir al-Maqdah has reportedly survived an Israeli military attack on his home in the Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp in the Lebanese city of Sidon earlier tonight, the Al Mayadeen news outlet reports, citing a Palestinian source.
Al-Maqdah's son, Hassan al-Maqdah, is reported to have been killed in the bombing, which has taken the lives of at least five people and injured several more.
Al-Maqdah is a brigadier general with the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in Lebanon, a
coalition of Fatah-aligned Palestinian armed groups, according to reports.
8:48AM - US Secretary of Defense spoke with Israel's defense minister: Pentagon
Lloyd Austin in his talk with Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has reaffirmed that a diplomatic resolution is required to ensure that civilians can return safely to their homes on both sides of the border, according to the US Department of Defense.
"They 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," the department said in a statement.
8:40AM - At least 5 people confirmed dead following Israeli attack in Sidon
At least five people are now confirmed dead following the Israeli military strike on the Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp in the coastal city in southern Lebanon, the Al Mayadeen news outlet reports.
Earlier, we reported that the Israeli air attack hit the home of Munir al-Maqdah, a brigadier general with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in Lebanon – a coalition of Palestinian armed groups aligned with the Fatah movement.
The attack marks the first Israeli air attack on the overcrowded refugee camp – Lebanon's largest of several Palestinian camps – since fighting between Hezbollah and Israel began in October last year.
7:03 AM - Iraq: US forces accounted for after reported rocket attack in Baghdad, official says
Multiple Katyusha rockets were fired near Baghdad International Airport, two Iraqi military officials told Reuters early on Tuesday.
Iraq, a rare regional partner of both the United States and Iran, hosts 2,500 US troops and also has Iran-backed armed factions linked to its security forces.
But a US official disputed reports that US military forces were targeted in the incident.
"All military personnel are accounted for and military forces were not targeted as had been reported," the US defense official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The incident was a reminder of the soaring tensions in the Middle East, as speculation swirled about whether Iran and Iran-backed groups would make good on threats to retaliate after a series of Israeli major blows against Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Two Iraqi security sources said an initial investigation showed three rockets were fired, including one that landed near buildings used by Iraqi counter-terrorism forces, causing damage and fire to some vehicles but no casualties.
The sources had previously said at least two Katyusha rockets were also fired at a military base hosting US force and that air defenses intercepted the rockets.
6:47AM - Israel strikes Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon
Israel launched a strike on a building in Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian camp near south Lebanon's Sidon early on Tuesday, a Palestinian source and Lebanese media said.
It marked the first strike on the overcrowded camp, Lebanon's largest of several Palestinian camps, since cross-border hostilities broke out nearly a year ago.
Palestinian security officials said the Israelis targeted Mounir Maqdah, commander of the Lebanese branch of the Palestinian Fatah movement's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. Maqdah's fate was unknown.
The United Natiions refugee agency UNRWA provides services to nearly 50,000 refugees in the crowded camp.
Sidon is about 50 miles north of the border with Israel.
UNRWA says the refugees mostly came from coastal towns in pre-1948 Palestine, but that in more recent years it also housed Syrians who had fled their country's civil war.
6:46AM - Syrian TV presenter killed in strike on Damascus: state media
A Syrian state television presenter was killed in an Israeli strike on the country's capital Damascus, Syrian state television reported early on Tuesday without providing further details.
Syrian air defences intercepted "hostile targets" over the vicinity of Damascus three times in a row in one night, following explosions that were heard in the capital, state media added.
When asked about the reported attack, the Israeli military said it does not comment on foreign media reports.
5:48AM - Israel's invasion begins with 'limited' Hezbollah raids on south Lebanon
Israel's military said its troops began limited ground raids against Hezbollah targets in the border area of southern Lebanon early on Tuesday, as a ground invasion by its troops appeared to be getting under way.
Calling the campaign Operation Northern Arrows, the military said in a statement that the targets were in villages close to the border and posed "an immediate threat" to communities in northern Israel. It said the air force and artillery were supporting ground forces with "precise strikes."
Local residents in the Lebanese border town of Aita al-Shaab reported heavy shelling and the sound of helicopters and drones in the sky. Flares were repeatedly launched over the Lebanese border town of Rmeish, lighting up the night sky.
The White House and the US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hezbollah's deputy leader Naim Qassem said on Monday that "the resistance forces are ready for a ground engagement."
The Israeli attacks in Lebanon are part of a conflict stretching from the occupied Palestinian territories to Iran-backed groups in Yemen and Iraq. The escalation has raised fears the United States and Iran will be drawn in.
5:27AM - Israel says its soldiers have trained for months for 'Operation Northern Arrows' in Lebanon
In announcing targeted ground raids in southern Lebanon, Israel said that the campaign, called Operation Northern Arrows, would continue according to its assessment of the situation and "in parallel to combat in Gaza and in other arenas."
The Israeli military said it was operating under a "methodical plan set out by the General Staff and the Northern Command which IDF soldiers have trained and prepared for in recent months."
"The IDF is continuing to operate to achieve the goals of the war and is doing everything necessary to defend the citizens of Israel and return the citizens of northern Israel to their homes," it said.
4:59AM - Israeli ground forces begin targeted raids against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon: Israel
The Israeli military said ground forces had begun limited, localized and targeted raids against Hezbollah in the border area of southern Lebanon.
In a statement, it said the targets were located in villages near the border and posed an immediate threat to communities in northern Israel.
The Israeli air force and artillery were supporting ground forces with precise strikes on military targets, the statement said.
The operations were approved and carried out in line with decisions of the country's political authorities, it said.
3:59AM - What we know so far: Beirut comes under new aerial attack as Israeli ground invasion looms
Huge blasts were heard in Lebanon's capital early on Tuesday, and a US official said a ground invasion by Israel looked imminent as it battles armed group Hezbollah.
The Israeli military carried out strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, security sources said, and a massive smoke cloud and flames could be seen in a Reuters live broadcast.
A US official speaking on condition of anonymity told Reuters the positioning of Israeli troops suggested a ground incursion of Lebanon could be near.
Hezbollah issued a statement after midnight saying it was targeting Israeli troop movements over the Lebanese border in Israel.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the next phase of the war would begin soon. Israel aims to return home Israelis who have fled Hezbollah rockets during nearly a year of border warfare.
Lebanese troops pulled back about 5 km (3 miles) from the border with Israel late on Monday. Lebanon's army has historically stayed on the sidelines of major conflicts with Israel, and in the last year of hostilities has not fired on the Israeli military.
At least 95 people were killed and 172 wounded in Israeli strikes on Lebanon's southern regions, the eastern Bekaa Valley and Beirut in the past 24 hours, Lebanon's health ministry said.
3:32 AM - Lebanon says Israeli strikes kill at least 95 people over past day
A total of at least 95 people were killed and 172 wounded in Israeli strikes on Lebanon's southern regions, the eastern Bekaa Valley and Beirut in the past 24 hours, Lebanon's health ministry said early on Tuesday.
The vast majority were killed in the south, with 23 killed in the east and four in Beirut.
As of Monday at 6 p.m., 1,745 people have been killed and 8,767 wounded since cross-border fighting began nearly a year ago, according to Lebanese government daily figures.
