Dozens killed in Lebanon as Israeli troops expand ground campaign 

Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Tuesday to step up military actions against Hezbollah. Israeli airstrikes and ground operations killed dozens of people across southern and eastern Lebanon on Tuesday. At least 31 people were killed in the attacks, including several children and 3 women, while 40 others were wounded. The Israeli military stated that it targeted more than 100 Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure sites overnight.

Hezbollah reported that its fighters directly confronted advancing Israeli troops. The strikes caused 14 deaths in Burj al-Shamali near Tyre, 5 in Kawthariyat al-Riz, 4 in Habbush, 6 in Maarakeh, and 2 in Salaa. Structural damage occurred near critical humanitarian infrastructure and historical landmarks, including the 900-year-old Beaufort Castle. Netanyahu confirmed that Israel was systematically expanding its footprint to prevent cross-border operations. He said, "The IDF is operating with large forces on the ground and seizing dominant terrain," and that troops were "fortifying the security zone" to protect communities in northern Israel from Hezbollah attacks.

Israeli troops have begun operating beyond the initial "Yellow Line," which extends roughly 10 kilometres (six miles) deep inside Lebanon. Netanyahu declared that Israel would increase both the volume and intensity of strikes to counter Hezbollah's evolving deployment of fibre-optic drones, vowing, "We will deal them a crushing blow." In the eastern town of Mashghara, an overnight strike resulted in "a preliminary toll of 11 martyrs, including 2 girls and a woman, and 15 wounded, including a child."