JERUSALEM

An Israeli ground operation in southern Lebanon is likely to last several weeks, Israeli media said on Tuesday.

The Israeli army said early Tuesday that it had launched “limited and targeted” ground operations in southern Lebanon.

Despite the Israeli army announcement, there has been no sign of an Israeli ground invasion into the Lebanese territory.

Hezbollah also denied Israeli claims that Tel Aviv had sent its ground forces into Lebanese territory.

"Israel estimates that the ground operation in Lebanon will continue for several weeks, and American officials were informed of this in recent days,” the Israeli public broadcaster KAN said.

Observers believe that the Israeli announcement of starting a ground offensive in Lebanon was part of “psychological and media warfare."

Since Sept. 23, Israel has launched massive airstrikes against what it calls Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, killing more than 1,057 people and injuring over 2,950 others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Several Hezbollah commanders have been killed in the assault, including its leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed more than 41,600 people, most of them women and children, following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.

​​​​​​​*Writing by Ahmed Asmar