Lebanon witnessed further field escalation on Saturday morning with Israeli airstrikes targeting neighborhoods in the southern suburbs of Beirut, while international concern grows over the possibility of a large-scale ground operation, with the United States emphasizing the need for negotiations with Israel.

In the latest developments, the Israeli army announced that troops from the Givati Brigade carried out a limited ground operation in southern Lebanon overnight.

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee told X, "During a specific ground operation carried out by the Israel Defense Forces last night in southern Lebanon, Givati Brigade forces identified several Hezbollah operatives and eliminated one of them in a ground clash."

He continued, "After that, the forces directed an Air Force plane to target several others who had fired at the troops, and later the forces eliminated three more with a tank strike. No casualties were reported among our forces."

He added, "Meanwhile, under the guidance of the Military Intelligence Directorate, the Air Force struck Hezbollah offices in Beirut. The Israel Defense Forces will continue to act strongly against Hezbollah, which has decided to join the battle under the sponsorship of the Iranian regime, and will not allow harm to Israeli citizens."

The southern suburbs of Beirut. (X)

Israeli warplanes carried out two airstrikes early Saturday morning on Haret Hreik and Al-Kafa’at in the southern suburbs of Beirut, after more than 48 hours of relative calm.

Israeli alerts renewed, calling on residents to immediately evacuate several neighborhoods in the southern suburbs, including Haret Hreik, Ghobeiry, Lilaki, Hadath, Bourj Al-Barajneh, Tahwitat Al-Ghadeer, and Chiyah.

In addition, Israeli warplanes launched a heavy strike at dawn on a house in Al-Ghandouriya in the Bint Jbeil district, resulting in one death and two injuries. The injured were rescued from under the rubble.

The Israeli army also resumed heavy artillery shelling of the town of Naqoura in the Tyre district.

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the war has killed more than a thousand people in Lebanon and displaced over a million.

On Friday, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, Michelle Sayegh Issa, welcomed Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s proposal to start direct negotiations with Israel to end the war with Hezbollah, stating that peace between the two countries cannot be achieved without meetings with the Israeli side. He made these remarks to Lebanese media following a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai in Bkerke.

Regarding a possible Israeli halt to strikes in Lebanon, Issa said, "I believe they have decided not to stop, which means Lebanon must decide whether it can meet with the Israeli side under these circumstances."