Israel and Hezbollah are exchanging hundreds of cross-border strikes in the wake of the shocking explosions of wireless devices across Lebanon last week.

Israeli troops have entered southern Lebanon in what the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) called “limited, localised and targeted raids against Hezbollah terror targets”. In a statement, the IDF said the targets “are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel”.

Israeli ground forces moved into southern Lebanon early Tuesday, marking a significant escalation of an offensive against Hezbollah and opening a new front in a yearlong war against its Iranian-backed adversaries.