Israel announced a new round of ground incursions into southern Lebanon on Wednesday, marking a significant escalation in its confrontation with Hezbollah and threatening the fragile truce that has held since November. The Israeli military claimed the operations targeted Hezbollah infrastructure and released footage of soldiers operating inside Lebanese territory.

For months, Israel has conducted near-daily airstrikes on Hezbollah positions, accusing the Iran-backed group of violating ceasefire terms. Wednesday’s ground operation is the first such publicly acknowledged incursion in months and coincided with heightened diplomatic efforts to push for Hezbollah’s disarmament.

The operations follow President Donald Trump’s dispatch of envoy Thomas J. Barrack Jr. to Beirut with a U.S. proposal. The roadmap, prepared by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, outlines steps for Hezbollah to disarm—a condition central to sustaining the ceasefire. Barrack, after meeting President Joseph Aoun, expressed optimism: “Both countries are trying to give the same thing: the notion of a stand-down agreement, of the cessation of hostilities, and a road to peace.”

Hezbollah has not responded militarily to the renewed Israeli strikes since the ceasefire took effect, but tensions remain high. The group’s leader, Naim Qassem, said on Sunday, “How can anyone expect us not to stand firm?” signaling that Hezbollah would not surrender its weapons unless Israeli attacks ceased.

The war, which erupted after Hezbollah attacked Israel in solidarity with Hamas following the October 2023 Gaza conflict, killed around 4,000 people in Lebanon and left large areas in ruins. Since the ceasefire, Israeli strikes have killed about 250 people in Lebanon, according to the health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

Lebanon’s new government has pledged to bring all arms under state control and has dismantled hundreds of military sites in the south. However, a timeline for Hezbollah’s full disarmament remains undefined. The group's political and military dominance has been waning, exacerbated by the loss of key leaders, Iranian setbacks, and the collapse of its Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which once facilitated arms smuggling routes.

Israel has accused Hezbollah of maintaining an armed presence in violation of the ceasefire, while simultaneously refusing to vacate five positions along the Lebanese border. This mutual accusation has paralyzed implementation of the truce and fueled fears of a return to full-scale war.