UNIFIL, Hezbollah, and Army Deny Israeli Ground Incursion in South Lebanon

On Tuesday, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, reported that there was no ongoing ground incursion in the south of the country, contradicting Israel’s claims of conducting limited raids in the area.

UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti clarified to AFP that there was currently no ground incursion, following Israel’s military announcement that it had initiated “limited, localized and targeted raids” against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Similarly, Hezbollah refuted the presence of any Israeli ground forces in Lebanon. In their first response since Israel declared the commencement of ground operations, Hezbollah spokesman Mohammed Afifi labeled the reports of Israeli troops entering Lebanon as “false claims.” He asserted that Hezbollah fighters were prepared to engage directly with any Israeli forces attempting to enter Lebanon to inflict casualties.

An Israeli military official indicated that their troops were positioned close to the border, focusing on villages a few hundred meters from Israel. Speaking anonymously in accordance with military guidelines, the official noted that there had been no encounters with Hezbollah fighters on the ground.

Additionally, a source from the Lebanese army confirmed on Tuesday that they had not detected any Israeli ground incursion into Lebanese territory, also speaking to AFP under the condition of anonymity.