Hezbollah strikes Mossad HQ, military base near Tel Aviv
Israel’s ground invasion into Lebanon denied
Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah on Tuesday said it had targeted the Israeli military intelligence base of Glilot near Tel Aviv, following days of Israel’s deadly strikes on Lebanon.
The group “launched salvoes of Fadi 4 rockets at the Glilot base of the military intelligence’s unit 8200 and the Mossad headquarters located on the outskirts of Tel Aviv,” it said in a statement.
The Israeli military also said Hezbollah had launched rockets at central Israel, setting off air raid sirens.
The head of Hezbollah’s media office, Mohammad Afif, also said on Tuesday that no Israeli troops have entered Lebanese territory, and warned that the group’s strikes on Tel Aviv hours earlier were “only the beginning.”
No ground invasion
In a written statement to Reuters, Afif said Hezbollah had not engaged in “direct ground clashes” with Israeli troops, but that it would be ready to do so.
The Israeli occupation army said it launched a ground offensive in Lebanon and that its forces engaged in clashes Tuesday, further escalating the conflict after a week of intense air strikes that killed hundreds, including Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon said, however, the Israeli operation did not amount to a “ground incursion” and while Hezbollah denied any troops had crossed the border, an Israeli security official said localized raids had taken place and they were limited in scope.
The UN force said a cross-border operation would be a violation of Lebanese sovereignty.
Israel advised people to evacuate to the north of the Awali River, some 60 kilometers (36 miles) from the border and much farther than the Litani River, which marks the northern edge of a UN-declared zone that was intended to serve as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah after their 2006 war.
Israel’s attacks
On Tuesday, Israel continued to attack various points within Lebanon, not just in the southern parts of the capital.
Israeli military said it was calling up four additional reserve brigades for operational missions on the northern border with Lebanon.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Tuesday for a de-escalation of the conflict in Lebanon, his spokesperson said.
Guterres “appeals for an immediate cease-fire,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, adding that, “An all-out war must be avoided in Lebanon at all costs, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon must be respected.”
Hezbollah began low intensity strikes on Israeli positions in northern occupied territories shortly after Hamas’ October 7 attack on the regime’s positions in the occupied territories. Since then, Israel has also launched airstrikes and the conflict has steadily escalated.
Top European airlines Lufthansa, KLM and Swiss announced Tuesday they were extending their suspension of flights to the Middle East, as tensions spiral throughout the region.