Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered troops to expand Israel’s ground offensive in Lebanon despite a ceasefire announced more than six weeks ago.
Netanyahu said on Sunday that he had instructed the military to widen its ground manoeuvre against Iranian-backed Hezbollah. He said Israel aimed to deepen its control of areas previously held by the group.
The fighting has displaced more than 1.2 million Lebanese since March 2. The Lebanese government said the incursion has killed more than 3,370 people.
Israel said 24 soldiers and four civilians had been killed over the same period. Tens of thousands of Israelis in the north have also been displaced by Hezbollah rockets and drones.
Israeli troops seized Beaufort Castle and a strategic ridge in southern Lebanon, the military said. The advance came after one of the heaviest days of Hezbollah fire toward northern Israel since the April ceasefire.
France called for an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday, citing the escalating violence in Lebanon.
The Israeli military said it already controlled territory up to the Litani River. Troops are now pushing toward the Zaharani River, about 10 kilometres farther north.
The military issued an evacuation warning for residents south of the Zaharani. Lebanon’s state news agency said eight people were killed when overnight Israeli airstrikes hit Deir El Zahrani.
Lebanese security sources and state media said Israel carried out more than 40 strikes across southern Lebanon on Sunday.
Read: Israel Expands Southern Lebanon Combat Zones
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said troops would retain Beaufort Castle as part of Israel’s security zone in southern Lebanon. He said the campaign was not over and vowed to crush Hezbollah’s power.
The military said the operation focused on Beaufort Ridge and the Wadi al-Saluki area. It said one Israeli soldier was killed during the latest operation.
