Israel says it has expanded its military ground operation in Lebanon
CNNCNN — Israel’s military ground operation in southern Lebanon has been expanded, the country’s defense minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday. Israel’s strikes across Lebanon killed at least 43 people on Thursday, including eight civil defense workers, according to Lebanon’s health ministry and civil defense directorate. The IDF told CNN earlier on Thursday that it “has been operating to defend Israel’s northern border, striking military targets in order to counter the continuing threat Hezbollah poses to Israeli homes and families.” The IDF also accused Hezbollah of escalating its attacks against Israel and said the militant group has fired over 16,000 rockets into Israel since October 8, 2023. “Hezbollah has continued to escalate its attacks against Israel, firing over 16,000 rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel, killing civilians and displacing tens of thousands from their homes,” the IDF said, adding that it makes “great efforts to estimate and consider potential civilian collateral damage.” The number of children killed in Lebanon over the past 50 days now accounts for 80% of all children killed in the past year, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said Wednesday in a post on X.