Israel vows to force Hezbollah out of Lebanon

Israel's defence minister Yoav Gallant has vowed that Israel will prevent Hezbollah forces from reoccupying the southern Lebanese border area once Israel's operation ends.

According to a statement issued from his office on Sunday, Gallant toured the Lebanon-Israel border, visited an observation post overlooking southern Lebanon, and held a situational assessment with military commanders.

He stated that Israel regards "the entire first line of (southern Lebanese) villages with Hezbollah infrastructure" as its "military targets". According to Gallant, Hezbollah militants have constructed numerous underground tunnels and weapons storage facilities in these villages, Xinhua news agency reports.

"I have instructed the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) at all levels to ensure the destruction of these Hezbollah infrastructures and to make sure that terrorists cannot return to these areas," Gallant added. "IDF troops are currently destroying these (Hezbollah) assets both above and beneath the ground," he said, describing the ongoing raids as "powerful and effective."

He vowed that "even once IDF troops withdraw, we will not allow Hezbollah terrorists to return to these areas".

Fighting across the Israel-Lebanon border continued on Sunday, with the Israeli military claiming that it had struck approximately 200 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, including rocket launchers, anti-tank missile positions, and other infrastructure. The military also reported that 28 soldiers were injured in battles with Hezbollah fighters.

The IDF has called on residents of more than 21 villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate north of the Awali river. "For your safety, you must leave your homes immediately. Evacuate without delay. Hezbollah elements, facilities, or weapons are in the area, putting your lives at risk," Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote in an X post in Arabic.

In response, Hezbollah continued attacks on Israeli targets. According to Israeli officials, Hezbollah had launched at least 90 rockets at northern Israel by Sunday evening.

The group claimed responsibility for launching a squadron of drones at a training base of the Golani Brigade in Binyamina, northern Israel. The attack marks a rare one in Israel, during which a drone bypassed Israel's air defence system and inflicted heavy casualties, with at least four Israeli soldiers killed and dozens more injured.

Israel has begun what it said was a "limited" ground campaign in Lebanon since early October, targeting Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. It has also intensified airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah.

The death toll from Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon since 8 October 2023 has reached 2,306, with injuries totalling 10,698, Lebanon's health ministry claimed on Sunday.