Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
The Israeli military early on Tuesday said it had launched a "targeted and precise" ground operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
"A few hours ago, the IDF began limited, localised, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon," the military said on X.
"These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel."
The strikes would further expand the campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group after Israel’s killing of its leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday. His death followed a series of walkie-talkie and pager explosions hitting thousands of Hezbollah members.
Israel launched its ground operations even as the US, the EU and Arab nations have called for a ceasefire. Israel has shifted its focus to Lebanon with its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip at a standstill.
The Israeli military said it is operating according to a "methodical plan" for which soldiers had spent months training.
Pro-Hezbollah outlet Al Mayadeen reported, however, that no ground invasion had been observed.
Israeli officials notified the US that the operations would be limited in scope, scale and duration, two American officials told NBC News.
The US State Department earlier said the Israeli military had launched small military operations against Hezbollah.
The Israelis “have been informing us about a number of operations", State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.
“They have at this time told us that those are limited operations focused on Hezbollah infrastructure near the border. But we're in continuous conversations about it,” Mr Miller said.
There were no reports of direct clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants, who last fought on Lebanese soil during a month-long war in 2006.
Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged fire almost every day since the war in Gaza began, displacing tens of thousands of people in Israel and Lebanon.
Israel says it will continue to strike Hezbollah until it is safe for families to return to their homes near the Lebanese border. Hezbollah has promised to keep firing rockets into Israel until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
It was not immediately clear if Israel had made a final decision on a broader ground operation in Lebanon.
Hours earlier on Monday, the US military said it is sending several thousand more troops to the Middle East as it seeks to stop the current Israel-Hezbollah conflict from expanding into a broader regional war.
The “few thousand” extra troops will mainly be supporting additional air assets that are being sent to the region, including F-15E Strike Eagles, F-16s, A-10s and F-22 fighter jets, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters.
“They are there for the protection of US forces. And they are there should they be needed for the defence of Israel," Ms Singh said.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
LIKELY TEAMS
South Africa
Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi.
India (from)
Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
The five pillars of Islam
The years Ramadan fell in May
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
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SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Atalanta v Juventus (6pm)
AC Milan v Napoli (9pm)
Torino v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Sunday
Bologna v Parma (3.30pm)
Sassuolo v Lazio (6pm)
Roma v Brescia (6pm)
Verona v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sampdoria v Udinese (9pm)
Lecce v Cagliari (11.45pm)
Monday
SPAL v Genoa (11.45pm)
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
