JERUSALEM

The Israeli army called up two reserve brigades to the northern border with Lebanon on Wednesday as cross-border fighting with Hezbollah continued to flare up. 

A military statement said the two brigades were called up for “operational missions in the northern arena.”

Typically, the mobilization of reserve forces signals potential preparations for ground operations.

Israeli media reported early Wednesday that after days of heavy bombardment of Lebanon, the army is preparing for a possible ground operation.

“We need to change the security situation and be fully prepared for maneuvers and action,” Northern Command Chief Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin said.

According to Israeli Channel 12, Israel’s Security Cabinet will convene later Wednesday at Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv to discuss recent security developments. Further details were not provided.

The Israeli army launched a new wave of airstrikes across Lebanon on Wednesday, killing at least 19 people and injuring dozens, according to Lebanese authorities.

The army has pounded several areas in Lebanon since Monday morning amid an escalation in cross-border warfare with the Hezbollah group.

More than 580 people have since been killed and over 1,900 others injured, according to Health Ministry figures.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 41,500 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7.

The international community has warned against the strikes on Lebanon, as they raise the specter of spreading the Gaza conflict regionally.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio