Commander of the IDF's 91st Division, Brig.-Gen. Yuval Gez addressed soldiers on the expanded operations in southern Lebanon, and its success in finding terror weapons belonging to Hezbollah, in a Tuesday speech.
"We, the army that is ahead of the civilians, are moving forward to remove the threat and ensure security for the communities [of northern Israel]," Gez said.
"We will act with determination and strike the enemy wherever necessary," he continued.
The military also published photographs of weapons and terror paraphernalia belonging to Hezbollah terror operatives seized by the 91st Division across southern Lebanon.
Earlier on Tuesday, the military confirmed that soldiers from the 36th Division have begun limited and targeted ground operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, aimed at enhancing Israel's defensive area.
According to the military, the operation is also being conducted with the 91st Division, with forces continuing efforts following their previous deployment to establish a forward defense.
The stated objective is “to remove threats and create an additional layer of security for residents of northern Israel.”
IDF conducts artillery, airstrikes on Hezbollah targets
The IDF added that, "prior to the troops’ entry into the area, the IDF conducted strikes using both artillery and the Israeli Air Force against numerous Hezbollah terror targets in order to mitigate threats in the operational environment."
The statement concluded with the IDF's commitment to operate against Hezbollah in order to. protect Israeli civilians.
Later on Tuesday, the IDF said that it had struck Hezbollah infrastructure on Tuesday afternoon, following the announcement that Hezbollah seemed to be gearing up for a larger round of attacks later that day.
Among the sites struck were several Hezbollah command centers in Beirut, three rocket launch sites in the Beqaa area, and various launchers and weapon storage facilities.
Hezbollah launched rockets from Lebanon toward several areas within Israeli territory on Tuesday evening, the IDF confirmed several hours after the initial announcement, adding that the Israeli Air Force was simultaneously working to intercept the launches and strike Hezbollah infrastructure throughout Lebanon.