The Israeli military has launched a wave of strikes across Lebanon, expanding beyond the southern border region to hit Hezbollah targets in the Bekaa Valley in the east and other areas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement Monday evening that Israel is "at war with Hezbollah" and ordered the military to "deal them a crushing blow." He claimed the offensive has already eliminated over 600 terrorists.
The escalation comes despite a 45-day ceasefire extension agreed earlier this month. Ten Israeli soldiers and over 400 people in Lebanon, including paramedics, have been killed since the initial ceasefire.
Iran, Hezbollah's patron, is pushing for a complete ceasefire on all fronts as part of a potential peace deal with the US. Netanyahu's government opposes ending the campaign against Hezbollah.
Lebanon was drawn into the broader conflict after the US-Israel war against Iran began on February 28. Hezbollah retaliated for an Israeli strike that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israeli strikes have killed over 3,000 people in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.