ISTANBUL

Israel’s defense minister confirmed on Monday that the Israeli military has begun a ground offensive in Lebanon, as regional escalation continues to expand.

“The IDF (army) has begun a ground maneuver in Lebanon to remove threats and protect the residents of the Galilee and the north,"Katz said in comments carried by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper during a situational assessment at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv.

“Hundreds of thousands of residents of southern Lebanon who have evacuated and are evacuating from their homes will not return to their homes south of the Litani area,” he added.

Katz said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the military to dismantle what he described as “militant infrastructure” in Lebanese villages along the border.