This happened a day after the Israeli army announced it was expanding its ground operations.
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Despite the ceasefire, Israel intensified strikes in Southern and Eastern Lebanon on Tuesday, killing at least 31 people, Lebanese officials reported. Hezbollah also continued its attacks.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the group said its fighters “engaged in close combat with enemy forces” in the town of Zavtar al-Sharkiya, located in Southern Lebanon along the Israeli-declared “yellow line,” up to which its soldiers operate. It was reported that light and medium weapons were used.
Since Tuesday morning, the group claimed its fighters clashed with Israeli soldiers who entered the town. This town is strategically important because it is just six kilometers from the large southern city of Nabatieh.
The Israeli army renewed the evacuation warning for Nabatieh city on Wednesday, issued the day before, and stated it would act decisively against Hezbollah, which it accuses of violating the ceasefire.
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The movement of Israeli troops towards Zavtar al-Sharkiya began after an Israeli army official reported on Tuesday that soldiers started operating beyond the “yellow line,” which runs through Lebanese territory about 10 kilometers from the Israeli border. Residents have been warned not to return to the border restricted by the “yellow line.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also stated on Tuesday that his country is intensifying operations in Lebanon.
“(The Israeli army) is operating with large forces on the ground and securing strategically dominant positions. We are strengthening the security buffer zone to protect the communities of Northern Israel,” he said.
