Israeli forces killed more than 10 Hezbollah operatives during ongoing ground operations in southern Lebanon, the military announced on Sunday.

According to the Israeli military, troops from the 36th Division recently raided several buildings allegedly used by Hezbollah, uncovering a cache of weapons. During the operation, the division’s 7th Armored Brigade engaged and killed more than 10 fighters who “posed an immediate threat,” the army said.

Four Israeli divisions, comprising thousands of troops, are currently operating in southern Lebanon as part of a broader campaign aimed at pushing Hezbollah away from the border. The military said it is preparing to deploy additional forces and expand its buffer zone in the area.

On Saturday, the military said the 162nd Division had completed preparations for potential deployment and was ready to “receive orders in accordance with the situational assessment.” If deployed, it would raise the number of Israeli divisions operating in southern Lebanon to five.

At present, the 146th Division is deployed in the western sector, while the 91st and 36th divisions are operating in the eastern sector. The 210th Division is stationed in the Mount Dov area.

The escalation comes after Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a deadly attack earlier in the day on the northern Israeli border community of Misgav Am. In a statement, the group said it targeted “a gathering of Israeli enemy army soldiers” with a rocket barrage at around 8 a.m.

The Israeli military confirmed that it had detected fire from Lebanon at that time, which struck two vehicles and caused casualties. Emergency responders said one man was killed after the vehicles caught fire, with his body recovered from one of them. The army said it is investigating the incident and is examining whether the attack involved an anti-tank missile.

Separately, Israeli police said a Hezbollah drone crashed in an open area in the Western Galilee, adding that no injuries or damage were reported and that bomb disposal teams were working to secure the site.

Amid the rising tensions, Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir held a high-level security assessment with senior officers following the impact of Iranian ballistic missiles in the southern cities of Dimona and Arad earlier in the evening.

The military said Zamir approved a new wave of strikes to be carried out “across all fronts” overnight. The meeting included senior commanders from the army’s operations, air force, intelligence, and home front units.

Zamir also instructed officers to continue investigating the missile incidents and to draw operational lessons from them, the military said.

At dawn Sunday, Israeli forces carried out a series of air and ground operations across southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah infrastructure and personnel, leaving multiple casualties and raising tensions along the border.

An Israeli drone struck a vehicle near the intersection of Borj Al-Muluk, Khiyam, and Kfarkila, wounding three people. Later in the morning, Israeli warplanes hit the outskirts of Al-Qatrani and Reihan in the Jezzine district, with explosions reportedly audible in nearby Sidon and surrounding areas.

Airstrikes specifically targeted Reihan and Al-Qatrani, while Khiyam came under continuous artillery fire and heavy machine-gun barrages. Intermittent artillery also struck Wadi al-Haniya in the Tyre region. Earlier raids hit the border town of Naqoura, and Mount Lubna near the town’s outskirts was shelled intermittently.

Israeli aircraft also struck the town of Haboush in Nabatiyeh and the Saf al-Hawa area in Bint Jbeil with two rockets, causing no reported casualties. Another airstrike reportedly hit the vicinity of Mashghara.