Beirut/Jerusalem, Oct 1 : In the early hours of Tuesday, massive Israeli strikes targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut following the initiation of "limited" and "localised" ground operations in the Lebanese capital, according to local media reports.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the commencement of the ground operation in a post on X, stating, "In accordance with the decision of the political echelon, a few hours ago, the IDF began limited, localised, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon."

The IDF elaborated that the operations focused on targets located in villages near the border, which pose an "immediate threat" to northern Israeli communities.

Prior to the raids, Israeli forces issued evacuation warnings to Lebanese residents in Haret Hreik, Mreijeh, and Laylaki, urging them to leave the areas immediately.

Israeli stated that the operations are part of a well-coordinated strategy planned by the General Staff and Northern Command, which IDF soldiers have been training and preparing for over the past few months. "The Israeli Air Force and IDF Artillery are supporting the ground forces with precise strikes on military targets in the area," the post added.

The Israeli security forces emphasised that these operations were approved in accordance with political directives and that Operation 'Northern Arrows' would continue based on situational assessments in parallel with ongoing combat in Gaza and other theatres of conflict.

"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," the post concluded.

Since September 23, Israel has intensified airstrikes across Lebanon, culminating in a significant strike on Friday in the southern suburbs of Beirut that reportedly killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and many of his associates.

This escalation has intensified ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, which began on October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza, prompting retaliatory Israeli artillery fire and airstrikes in southeastern Lebanon.

/IANS