Israel begins limited ground fighting...Ground troops in Lebanon for the first time in 18 years

Israel, which has been conducting so-called "Arrows of the North" operations and has launched a ground operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

It is the first time in 18 years that Israel has deployed ground forces to Lebanon since 2006.

The Israeli military issued a statement at around 7:50 a.m. local time, saying it had begun a limited and local "ground raid" based on accurate information about Hezbollah targets.

The Israeli military said the target was located near the border and posed an immediate threat to northern Israel.

Hezbollah also said Israeli troops crossing the border were spotted at around 6 a.m. in our view, and Lebanese militias attacked it.

Arab media, including Al Jazeera, also reported that Israeli military tanks had entered several Lebanese border villages.

Earlier, Israel declared and blocked several border towns as military restrictions in advance preparations for ground warfare, and heavily shelled southern Lebanon.

The Washington Post also reported that Israeli forces have gathered at least 120 tanks and armored vehicles near the border.

Israel's security cabinet reportedly approved the next stage of military operations after hours of discussion over the form of the invasion of Lebanon.