Israel boosts troops on Lebanon border, signals maritime operation

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Israel expanded its offensive in Lebanon, sending more troops to conduct ground operations along the countries’ shared border and warning people to stay away from the coast of southern Lebanon ahead of a maritime operation. The additional Israeli forces are being added as the military expands its operations from the eastern part of the border to the west.

The Israeli military said Tuesday that its 146th reserve division began operations in southwestern Lebanon against Hezbollah targets, after declaring Israeli communities near the western part of its border with Lebanon as closed military zones. Israel’s limited ground incursions along the border began in the east and have moved westward, each time adding new divisions. The Israeli military on Tuesday said it took control of a Hezbollah compound in Maroun El Ras, a village that overlooks Israeli towns and was the site of a significant battle between Hezbollah and Israel in their last major war in 2006.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said on Sunday it was concerned by Israeli military activity next to one of the bases near Maroun El Ras, on the eastern part of the Lebanese border. “This is an extremely dangerous development. It is unacceptable to compromise the safety of U.N.

peacekeepers carrying out their Security Council-mandated tasks," the peacekeeping force said. Israel warned Lebanese civilians Monday evening to stay away from the coastal area south of the Awali River, which is located just a little over halfway between the Israel-Lebanon border and Beirut. “Refrain from being in the sea or on the beach from now until further notice," an Israeli military spokesman told Lebanese civilians in a social-media post.