Israel sends more troops into southern Lebanon as ground invasion expands

twitterwhatsappcopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoIsraeli army Merkava tanks are positioned in the upper Galilee in northern Israel near the border with southern Lebanon on March 26, 2026 [AFP]By Al Jazeera StaffPublished On 26 Mar 202626 Mar 2026The Israeli military is sending more troops into southern Lebanon despite growing international concern about Israel’s deadly bombardment and push to deepen its invasion of Lebanese territory.

The Israeli military said in a social media post on Thursday that troops from Division 162 would operate in southern Lebanon “with the aim of expanding” a so-called “buffer zone” in the area.

Division 162 is joining two other army divisions already operating in southern Lebanon, it said in a social media post.

The deployment of additional troops comes a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military planned to create “a larger buffer zone” in southern Lebanon to push back a missile threat from the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

Israel launched intensified attacks on its northern neighbour in early March after Hezbollah fired rockets towards Israeli territory following the February 28 assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the US-Israel war on Iran.

The Israeli military has carried out aerial and ground attacks across Lebanon while issuing mass forced displacement orders for residents of the country’s south, as well as several suburbs of the capital, Beirut.

More than 1.2 million people have been forced out of their homes since the beginning of March, according to the United Nations, prompting concerns about a mounting humanitarian crisis.

Israel’s attacks have also killed at least 1,116 people and wounded 3,229 others, figures from Lebanon’s Ministry of Health showed.

Foreign countries have called for de-escalation, with France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Canada warning last week that an expanded Israeli ground offensive “would have devastating humanitarian consequences” and “must be averted”.

But Israeli troops have pushed deeper into Lebanese territory while Defence Minister Israel Katz said Lebanese citizens would not be allowed to return to their homes in the south until the safety of northern Israel is secured.

On Thursday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned against Israel’s push to deepen its ground invasion during a phone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

In a readout of the talks, Salam’s office said the Lebanese leader told Guterres that Israel’s actions and statements “constitute a matter of utmost gravity that threatens Lebanon’s sovereignty” and violates international law and the UN Charter.

Salam also said his government would submit a complaint to the UN Security Council to urge the world body “to fulfill its responsibilities in putting an end to these violations”.

Amnesty International also warned that the destruction of bridges and homes in southern Lebanon reflected Israel’s “record of atrocity crimes” in the Gaza Strip, where it has carried out a genocidal war against Palestinians since October 2023.

“The Israeli military has already extensively destroyed and devastated civilian life in southern Lebanon. The world must not stand by as Israeli leaders shamelessly threaten further destruction and displacement,” the rights group said in a post on X.

“Israel must not be allowed to violate international law with impunity across the region. World leaders must uphold their international legal obligations to halt Israel’s unlawful destruction of civilian property.”

Meanwhile, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem this week promised that the group would continue fighting “without limits” against what he described as “an enemy that occupies land and continues daily aggression”.

Hezbollah announced more than 45 military operations against Israel on Thursday, including rocket and drone firings and the targeting of Israeli troops inside Lebanon.

The group also said it targeted several Israeli armoured vehicles with guided missiles, including two Merkava tanks in the border town of Deir Siryan.

A Hezbollah rocket attack on the coastal Israeli city of Nahariya also killed one person and injured 11 others, according to the Israeli authorities.

Separately, the Israeli military said one soldier was killed, and four others were injured, in an “incident” in southern Lebanon.