Last Update October 01, 2024 02:40am ET

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched ground action against Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon late Monday evening. The IDF said that the raids will be “limited, localized and targeted raids.”

Covered by: Bradford Betz , Andrea Margolis and Landon Mion

Fast facts

•  The IDF said its troops began “begun limited, localized and targeted raids” against Hezbollah terrorists 
•  The raids are based on “precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure,” the IDF’s statement said 
•  The ground raids are taking place in southern Lebanon 
•  The IDF said it is “everything necessary to defend the citizens of Israel and return the citizens of northern Israel” 

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3 hour(s) ago

PINNED

Lloyd Austin reaffirms US support for Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran

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U.S. Secretary of Defense spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant on Monday in which Austin reaffirmed U.S. support for Israel’s right to defend itself against Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and other terror groups.

The two reviewed security developments and Israeli operations and agreed on the need to dismantle attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Hezbollah cannot carry out attacks in northern Israel similar to Hamas’ October 7 attack on the Jewish State, according to Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.

Austin said that a diplomatic resolution is needed to ensure that civilians can safely return to their homes on both sides of the border. Austin and Gallant stressed the importance of ultimately moving away from military operations in favor of a diplomatic solution to offer security and stability as soon as possible.

The U.S. is well-positioned to defend U.S. personnel, partners and allies amid threats from Iran and Iran-backed terror groups, Austin said, adding that the U.S. is determined to prevent anyone from exploiting tensions or expanding the conflict in the Middle East. Austin and Gallant spoke about the serious consequences for Iran if it chooses to launch a direct military attack against Israel.

Posted by Landon Mion Share

57 min(s) ago

IDF announces targeted ground operation in southern Lebanon

The Israeli Defense Forces said Monday that it began a targeted ground operation in southern Lebanon amid ongoing conflict in the region.

The IDF said that in recent weeks, soldiers from the 98th Division, including soldiers from the Paratroopers, Commando and the 7th Brigades, have been preparing for limited, localized, targeted operations in southern Lebanon that began Monday night.

During this time period, the IDF says plans were approved and the soldiers trained in the northern arena.

“After many months of operating in the Gaza Strip, where the soldiers of the division gained skills and operational experience, they moved north and are now operating in the northern arena after making the necessary adjustments for fighting in Lebanon,” the IDF said.

Fox News’ Yael Kuriel contributed to this report.

Posted by Landon Mion Share

4 hour(s) ago

Pentagon sending personnel to Middle East day after Biden said he wouldn’t add combat troops

The Pentagon announced on Monday that it is sending a “few thousand” U.S. personnel to the Middle East to support Air Force squadrons a day after President Biden vowed not to send combat troops to the region.

Speaking at a press gaggle with reporters on Monday, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said the U.S. was sending a “few thousand” more troops to the Middle East to bolster security and to defend Israel, if needed.

Biden gave a firm “no” when asked Sunday if he planned to deploy additional combat troops to the Middle East.

This increased presence is to include multiple warplane squadrons, complimenting the F-15s, F-16s, A-10s and F-22s already stationed in the region.

Singh said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has “increased the readiness of additional U.S. forces to deploy, elevating our preparedness to respond to various contingencies. And DOD (Department of Defense) maintains robust and integrated air-defense capabilities across the Middle East, ensuring the protection of U.S. forces operating in the region.”

The few thousand additional personnel are not combat troops but rather maintenance crews and those who can help with the air defense mission and refueling. The additional forces would raise the total number of U.S. personnel in the region to as many as 43,000.

The Pentagon’s announcement follows word that Israel has already launched limited raids across its northern border into Lebanon amid an anticipated wider ground invasion.

It also follows recent Israeli strikes into Lebanon and the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, a significant escalation in the war in the Middle East, this time between Israel and Hezbollah, a Lebanese terrorist organization and proxy of Iran. Israel is also engaged in an ongoing war in the south against Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the Palestinian terrorist group sparked the conflict with its bloody incursion into southern Israel in October 2023.

Fox News’ Bradford Betz, Jennifer Griffin and Liz Friden contributed to this report.

Posted by Landon Mion Share

6 hour(s) ago

Israeli ministers frustrated over US, IDF leak on Lebanon operation: Report

An Israeli tank moves next to soldiers as they stand atop of armored personnel carriers (APC), in northern Israel, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Ministers in Israel’s Political-Security Cabinet in the early hours of Tuesday morning local time agreed on an operational strategy for Israel’s “limited” invasion into Lebanon, but tensions were high after officials were reportedly frustrated that the news of the operation had been leaked hours before they even met.

An unnamed U.S. security official confirmed to Fox News and other outlets Monday morning that a “limited” invasion into Lebanon was imminent. And when questioned by reporters on it later, President Biden appeared to confirm the claims and said, “I’m more aware than you might know.”

But when asked if he was comfortable with the operational plans, he said, “I’m comfortable with them stopping. We should have a cease-fire now.”

Read the full article about Israel by Caitlin McFall

Posted by Andrea Margolis Share

6 hour(s) ago

OP-ED: Iran’s options dwindle as it prepares retaliation for death of Nasrallah

People watch the televised speech of Lebanon’s Hezbollah chief Hasan Nasrallah to mark the anniversary of the killing of slain top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, in a Beirut’s southern suburb on January 3, 2024. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images)

As the death of Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah is confirmed, the immediate question is not whether Iran will respond, but how.

Hezbollah is a creation of the Islamic Republic, built on decades of effort, and billions of dollars of support. Formed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in 1982, Hezbollah remains the regime’s primary proxy.

The relationship between Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Hezbollah’s secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah, was almost familial – akin to that of father and son. But Nasrallah’s recent missteps, including intelligence failures and the assassinations of senior commanders, had left Khamenei to manage the fallout. His death now compounds that.

Read the full article about Iran and Israel by Kasra Aarabi and Dr. Saeid Golkar

Posted by Andrea Margolis Share

6 hour(s) ago

Fox News Channel’s Kevin Corke reports the latest on the IDF incursion into Lebanon

Fox News Channel correspondent Kevin Corke appeared on “The Ingraham Angle” to discuss the latest developments with the IDF’s ground operations in Lebanon.

Corke noted that the latest ground strikes in Lebanon are “parallel to, and separate from, the ongoing battle in Gaza.”

“They have begun what they’re calling a limited, localized and targeted ground raid offensive against very specific Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon,” Corke explained. “Now, this will target not just individuals, but also terrorist infrastructure in the area.”

“And what the Israelis are saying often in this particular statement is that this is specific…This is based on actionable intelligence. This is also methodical in its planning and the training that goes into it.”

Posted by Andrea Margolis Share

7 hour(s) ago

Hezbollah says it will choose Nasrallah’s successor ‘at the earliest opportunity’

Israeli shelling hit an area in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Hezbollah’s second-in-command following the death of leader Hassan Nasrallah signaled Monday that the terrorist group is set to reveal its new leader soon, saying it will choose his successor “at the earliest opportunity.”

Naim Qassem made the remark during the first televised speech from a Hezbollah official after Nasrallah was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon’s capital of Beirut on Friday, according to Reuters. 

“We will choose a secretary-general for the party at the earliest opportunity… and we will fill the leadership and positions on a permanent basis,” Qassem said while speaking in front of a trio of wooden panels from an undisclosed location. 

Read the full article about Hezbollah by Greg Norman

Posted by Andrea Margolis Share

7 hour(s) ago

Flashback: Biden admin bragged about ‘quieter’ Middle East one week before attack on Israel

National security adviser Jake Sullivan gestures during a press conference at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on Aug. 29, 2024. (Adek Berry/AFP via Getty Images)

One year ago, national security adviser Jake Sullivan praised the Biden administration’s success at keeping the peace in the Middle East, just one week before the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel.

“The Middle East region is quieter today than it has been in two decades” Sullivan said during a Sept. 29, 2023, appearance at the Atlantic Festival. 

At the time, Sullivan pointed to a list of positive developments in the Middle East, including a truce in Yemen, a decrease in Iranian attacks on U.S. troops, and a “stable” Iraq.

Read the full article about the White House by Michael Lee

Posted by Andrea Margolis Share

7 hour(s) ago

Netanyahu addresses Iranians hours before ground operations into Lebanon begin

An Israeli tank manoeuvres in northern Israel near the Israel-Lebanon border, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

Several hours before the IDF’s ground raids in Lebanon began, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video message to Iranian citizens on Monday.

The video, which was posted on X, was captioned, “The people of Iran should know – Israel stands with you.”

“I want to address you – the people of Iran. I want to do so directly, without filters, without middlemen,” the Israeli leader said. “Every day, you see a regime that subjugates you, make fiery speeches about defending Lebanon, defending Gaza.”

“Yet every day, that regime plunges our region deeper into darkness and deeper into war….There is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach. There is nowhere we will not go to protect our people and protect our country.”

Posted by Andrea Margolis Share

7 hour(s) ago

NY Times, AP, Washington Post raise eyebrows with glowing coverage of terror leader Hassan Nasrallah

Legacy media outlets in the United States raised eyebrows over the weekend with glowing coverage of terror leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was praised as a “father figure” with a “propensity to crack jokes.”

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the Hezbollah terror organization’s leader died in its strike Friday against the group’s headquarters in Lebanon. The IDF said Nasrallah was responsible for the murder of many Israeli civilians and soldiers, as well as the planning and execution of thousands of terrorist activities around the world.

“He was responsible for hundreds of Americans deaths, yet the media here in America is making him look like he’s a good guy,” Ainsley Earhardt said Monday on “FOX & Friends” as favorable mainstream headlines appeared on screen. 

Read the full article about Hassan Nasrallah by Brian Flood

Posted by Andrea Margolis Share

7 hour(s) ago

Rockets fire near U.S. service members in Baghdad, Iraq: report

A military base hosting U.S. servicemembers was reportedly targeted by rocket launchers in Baghdad, as the Israel-Hamas war continues to escalate.

The attack happened on Tuesday morning, as the IDF executed its limited ground operations into Lebanon. Iraqi military officials confirmed the attack to the Reuters, and it was allegedly executed with Katyusha rockets.

The rockets were intercepted and no casualties have been reported.

A senior U.S. defense official told Fox News that the attack took place at the the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Complex (BDSC), a Department of State facility. 

The official said that all military personnel are accounted for, and contradicted the Iraqi officials’ reports to Reuters by claiming that U.S. military forces “were not targeted as had been reported.”

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin and Reuters contributed to this report.

Posted by Andrea Margolis Share

7 hour(s) ago

FNC’s Mike Tobin reports the latest information about the Israeli invasion of Lebanon

Fox News Channel’s international correspondent Mike Tobin appeared on “Your World” Monday evening to discuss Israel’s then-imminent ground operations into Lebanon.

Speaking to host Neil Cavuto, Tobin said that he expected Israeli forces to “soften the battlefield,” which they have done in the past.

“What I mean by softening the battlefield is they blast an area and anything that is not a combatant will generally get out of the way,” he explained.

Tobin, who reported from the Israeli city of Haifa, added that he’s seen images of “flashes” on the Lebanese side of the border.

“What we’ve been able to see are flashes on the Lebanese side of the border, an indication of the artillery or different types of strikes that are going in,” the reporter described. “And also some of the defiant rockets coming out of the south of Lebanon as the Hezbollah fighters are still digging in.”