JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday published video footage showing its troops establishing new positions deeper in southern Lebanon, as the military pushes forward to create an additional defensive buffer against rocket and drone attacks by the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

The deployment follows Hezbollah’s launch of projectiles into northern Israel beginning early Monday, which the group described as retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israeli forces responded with airstrikes on Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, including in Beirut’s southern suburbs, and have now expanded ground operations along the border.

The IDF said troops have assumed “forward defensive positions” to “establish an additional defensive layer to remove the threats to the residents of northern Israel.” Forces include infantry, armored and combat engineering units.

The 146th Reserve Division is operating in the western sector of southern Lebanon, the 91st “Galilee” Regional Division in the east, and the 210th “Bashan” Regional Division in the Mount Dov area, the military said.

The moves build on Israel’s control of five positions in southern Lebanon held since a November 2024 ceasefire that ended major combat in the previous round of fighting with Hezbollah. The latest expansion comes amid heightened regional tensions tied to the broader Israel-Iran conflict.

Defense Minister Israel Katz authorized the advance, stating it was necessary to prevent direct fire on Israeli border communities. The IDF emphasized the operations are limited to the border area in a defensive posture to protect civilians and strategic points, denying any large-scale maneuver.

Hezbollah has vowed readiness for further confrontation, while Lebanese officials have condemned actions risking escalation. The developments raise concerns about the fragility of the 2024 cessation-of-hostilities arrangement.