ISTANBUL

Israeli army's Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi has approved the expansion of the ground incursion in southern Lebanon, state broadcaster KAN reported on Sunday.

The Israeli army began "limited, localized, and targeted" ground raids into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1, days after launching heavy airstrikes against what it claimed to be Hezbollah targets. The air campaign was an escalation in year-long cross-border warfare since the start of the Gaza war.

More than 3,100 people have been killed and over 13,800 injured in Israeli attacks in Lebanon since October 2023, according to health authorities.