Israeli forces have moved deeper into southern Lebanon in what the IDF describes as a tactical advance to strengthen the northern defense line amid growing hostilities with the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah. The expansion of Israeli positions comes as Hezbollah has launched repeated rocket and drone barrages into northern Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Ali Khamenei.

According to military statements, troops from the 91st Galilee Division are now stationed at multiple points beyond the five forward positions held since late 2024, forming aforward defense posture to create “an additional layer of security” for Israeli civilians living close to the border.

Defense Minister Katz emphasized that the deployment is “to prevent the possibility of direct fire at Israeli communities, we have authorized the IDF to advance and hold additional dominant terrain in Lebanon,” Katz stated in an official release.

The military has characterized the operation as limited and defensive, rejecting reports of aground invasion. At the same time, the IDF continues air and artillery strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure inside Lebanon to degrade the group’s capability to launch further attacks and to prevent infiltration attempts into Israeli territory.