Israeli army radio said troops from the Egoz Unit and the reconnaissance company of the Golani Brigade operated near the outskirts of Zawtar al-Sharqiya, roughly 10 kilometers from the Israeli border.

The reported incursion marked one of the deepest publicly acknowledged Israeli ground movements into southern Lebanon since cross-border hostilities intensified earlier this year.

Israeli media said Hezbollah fighters emerged from a tunnel north of the Litani River during one clash, triggering direct fighting with Israeli troops.

Israel confirmed several soldiers were wounded during the operation but did not disclose the number of casualties.

According to Israeli broadcaster Channel 14, the military operations north of the river were intended to prepare routes for possible future movement of armored and infantry units toward areas from which Hezbollah had launched rockets and drones into Israel.

The Israeli military said it had struck more than 100 targets in southern Lebanon over the past week.

The escalation comes despite an April 17 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon aimed at reducing hostilities following months of fighting between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.

Israeli airstrikes and artillery attacks have continued across southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah has maintained cross-border rocket and drone attacks targeting northern Israel.

Lebanese health authorities say more than 2,800 people have been killed since Israel intensified military operations against Hezbollah on March 2 as part of a broader regional offensive.

Israeli forces have also continued issuing evacuation orders for residents living south of the Litani River, urging civilians to move further north.

The Litani River has long held strategic importance in conflicts involving Hezbollah and Israel, particularly under the terms of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which sought to limit armed group activity south of the river following the 2006 Lebanon war.

Leiter said Israel had agreed to begin “formal peace negotiations” with the Lebanese government, despite the absence of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The talks are scheduled to open Tuesday at the U.S. State Department following contacts between Israeli and Lebanese representatives.“Israel refused to discuss a ceasefire with the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which continues to attack Israel and is the main obstacle to peace between the two countries,” Leiter said in a statement.

The position contrasts with calls from Lebanese authorities and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump for a pause in hostilities ahead of negotiations. A report citing sources familiar with the discussions said Washington and Beirut had urged Israel to halt its attacks before talks begin.

Israel launched an intensified military campaign, including airstrikes and a ground offensive in Lebanon, after Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel in early March, in a move linked to broader regional tensions involving Iran.

Israeli officials have maintained that the ongoing conflict in Lebanon is separate from the ceasefire arrangement between the United States and Iran, with negotiations between those two countries set to take place in Islamabad.

In the absence of a ceasefire, discussions in Washington are expected to focus on measures Israel wants the Lebanese government to take, particularly regarding efforts to curb Hezbollah’s activities.

Lebanese authorities say the conflict has killed more than 1,950 people in recent weeks, including over 350 fatalities reported on Wednesday alone, marking one of the deadliest days since the escalation began.

The strike targeted a government building in the southern city of Nabatieh, part of a broader Israeli aerial campaign across multiple areasvin southern Lebanon. Hezbollah said it carried out 31 attacks in response, including strikes on northern Israel and Israeli ground forces operating inside Lebanese territory.

The group also claimed responsibility for an attack on a naval base in the Israeli port city of Ashdod, approximately 145 km from the Lebanese border, signaling an expansion in the range of hostilities.The escalation comes ahead of talks scheduled to begin Tuesday in Washington, D.C., to be mediated by U.S. officials.

The office of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the discussions were agreed upon following contacts between Israeli, Lebanese and U.S. diplomats, reiterating Beirut’s position that negotiations should take place under a ceasefire.

However, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter described the upcoming meeting as “formal peace negotiations” and said a ceasefire would not be part of the agenda, highlighting a divergence in positions.A Lebanese government official familiar with the matter said a halt in hostilities remained a key condition for Beirut’s participation, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The latest round of fighting began after Hezbollah launched rockets toward northern Israel on March 2 in support of Iran, prompting Israel to initiate an expanded air campaign and ground operations in southern Lebanon.Lebanon’s Health Ministry said at least 1,953 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the escalation began.

On Wednesday alone, about 100 strikes across the country including densely populated areas of Beirut killed at least 303 people, marking the deadliest day in the current conflict.Concerns have also grown over the safety of medical facilities. The World Health Organization has called for the protection of Rafik Hariri University Hospital after Israeli evacuation warnings covered surrounding areas, including the Jnah neighborhood.

Health officials said they had received assurances the hospital would not be targeted, though staff remain at risk amid ongoing strikes.Emergency responders continue to search for victims trapped under rubble in Beirut and other affected areas as hostilities persist.