Questions raised over whether Israeli forces really entered Lebanon

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant briefed U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on ground operations the army launched inside south Lebanon targeting Hezbollah positions, his office said on Tuesday.

"The minister discussed the localized and targeted raids that the IDF (Israeli army) launched overnight, against Hezbollah terror targets in the border area of southern Lebanon," said the statement from the defense ministry.

A Lebanese army source said Tuesday that the force had seen no Israeli ground incursion, after United Nations peacekeepers and Hezbollah also denied any ground incursion had begun.

- Questions raised over whether Israeli forces entered -

An Associated Press reporter saw Israeli troops operating near the border in armored trucks, with helicopters circling overhead, but could not confirm ground forces had crossed into Lebanon.

Ahead of the Israeli announcement of an incursion, U.S. officials on Monday said Israel had described launching small ground raids inside Lebanon as it prepared for a wider operation.

In its first statement since Israel announced the start of ground operations, Hezbollah spokesman Mohammed Afif dismissed what he said were “false claims” of an Israeli incursion. He said Hezbollah is ready for “direct confrontation with enemy forces that dare to or try to enter Lebanon.”

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military’s top spokesperson, claimed troops were conducting “localized ground raids” on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon to ensure that Israeli citizens could return to their homes in the north.

In a briefing later in the day, he said Israel had carried out dozens of small ground operations inside Lebanon.

He said Israeli forces had crossed the border to collect information and destroy Hezbollah infrastructure, including tunnels and arsenals. He showed photographs purporting to show Israeli soldiers inside homes in southern Lebanon. It was not immediately possible to confirm those claims.

An Israeli military official said troops taking part in the latest incursion were within walking distance of the border, focused on villages hundreds of meters from Israel. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations, said there had been no clashes yet with Hezbollah fighters.

The Israeli military was accused of lying to media in 2021 when it released a statement implying that ground troops had entered Gaza. The military played down the incident as a misunderstanding, but well-sourced military commentators in Israel said it was part of a ruse to lure Hamas into battle.