Israel's widely expected ground invasion of Lebanon appeared to be getting underway early on Tuesday as its military said troops had begun "limited" raids against Hezbollah targets in the border area.

The military said in a statement that it had begun "limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence" against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon villages close to the border that posed "an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel".

It said the air force and artillery were supporting the ground forces with "precise strikes."

Local residents in the Lebanese border town of Aita al-Shaab reported heavy shelling and the sound of helicopters and drones overhead. Flares were repeatedly launched over the Lebanese border town of Rmeish, lighting up the night sky.

On Monday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant had told local council heads in northern Israel that the next phase of the war along Lebanon's southern border would begin soon, and would support the aim of bringing home Israelis who have fled Hezbollah rockets during nearly a year of border warfare.

The ground invasion marks an escalation in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, triggered by an attack on Israel by the Palestinian group Hamas on October 7, 2023. The situation now risks involving broader regional players, including the U.S. and Iran.

Early on Tuesday, an Israeli strike in Lebanon reportedly targeted Mounir Maqdah, a commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the military wing of the Palestinian Fatah movement, according to two Palestinian security officials.

His fate remains unknown.

The strike hit a building in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp, located near the southern city of Sidon. This was the first strike on the camp, Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp, since hostilities along the Israel-Lebanon border resumed almost a year ago.