Israel has launched what is says is a limited ground invasion into Lebanon following months of tension on the border.
Troops crossed the border in Operation Northern Arrows despite calls for restraint by world leaders fearing a wider regional war.
Why is Israel invading Lebanon?
Israel says it has invaded because it wants to restore security to Israeli communities living in the north, which were displaced because of constant incoming rocket fire from Hezbollah.
The precise parameters of the military operation are not yet clear. A “limited” invasion could be an attempt to simply clear southern Lebanon of Hezbollah fighters and positions in order to restore calm to northern Israel and allow residents to return.
Israeli soldiers may immediately withdraw after completing their missions in southern Lebanon, as some US officials hinted in comments to The Washington Post.
But for Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, this could be part of a wider plan to fully invade Lebanon and remove Hezbollah from power entirely, rather than just kill its members in the south.
In that scenario, it is unclear whether Israel plans to occupy southern Lebanon, create a demilitarised zone, or simply leave the area completely after completing their objectives.
What triggered the war?
Northern Israel has been under near-constant rocket fire from Hezbollah since Oct 7, forcing some 60,000 to flee their homes near the northern border north.
The IDF has returned fire at Hezbollah positions and launched sporadic airstrikes on Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon in return.
But in recent weeks Israel has massively ramped up pressure on the terrorist organisation, setting off a wave of sabotage explosions in pagers carried by Hezbollah members, which injured more than 3,000 people.
Israeli air strikes on Lebanon also intensified, culminating in an attack on Beirut that killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah.
What is Hezbollah?
Hezbollah, which means “Party of God”, is a radical, Shia paramilitary group based in Lebanon and backed and funded by Iran.
It is politically and financially supported by Iran, and has been described as the most heavily armed non-state actor worldwide.
Nasrallah had previously claimed that the group has more than 100,000 trained fighters, though it is thought that the true figure is around 20,000 to 50,000.
It has a vast network of tunnels and defensive positions in southern Lebanon and also controls much of southern Beirut.
What happens next?
It is unclear where the conflict goes from here. Israel is already facing pressure from the United States to keep the scale of the invasion to a minimum.
However, there are growing doubts over whether Mr Netanyahu considers the views of the Biden administration in his decision-making.
There are fears Iran could launch a revenge attack on Israel for killing the Hezbollah leader.
Mr Netanyahu also hinted that Iran could be next in a speech on the eve of the invasion into Lebanon, telling the regime that “there is nowhere in the Middle East” Israel could not strike.
