Israel launches ground incursion into southern Lebanon — Netanyahu and Katz approve buffer zone expansion

Al Jazeera: "Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel's army had been instructed to advance and seize additional controlling areas in Lebanon to prevent firing on Israeli border settlements." NYT: "The Israeli military said its move to advance into southern Lebanon and seize areas of the country on Tuesday was intended to expand a military buffer zone between Lebanon and communities in northern Israel." Reuters: "Lebanon was pulled deeper into the war on Tuesday as Hezbollah launched missiles at Israel for a second consecutive day and Israel sent troops into the south and carried out waves of air strikes." Key details: • Netanyahu and Katz gave formal approval for the operation. • IDF issued new evacuation orders for dozens of southern Lebanon locations. • IDF spokesperson later denied the deployment was a "ground manoeuvre" — called it "advanced military posture." • Lebanese Health Ministry: 40 killed, 246 wounded total from Israeli strikes. • At least 30,000 displaced in Lebanon. • This expands an existing buffer zone from the 2024 ceasefire period. Context: • Hezbollah broke the November 2024 ceasefire on March 2 by firing rockets and drones at Haifa — first time since the agreement. • Hezbollah said its attack was a "defensive act" in response to the Khamenei assassination. • This is now effectively a three-front war for Israel: Iran (air campaign), Lebanon (air + ground), and defending the home front from IRGC missiles.