By Anat Peled and Omar Abdel-Baqui

For the first time in the current conflict, Hezbollah on Wednesday fired missiles from Lebanon toward southern Israel with an estimated range of around 124 miles, according to an official from the Iran-backed militant group and the Israeli military. One of the missiles fell in an open area in southern Israel and another in Gaza, the Israeli military said.

Israel's military and U.S. officials have said that Hezbollah mostly has short-range rockets left in its arsenal, although the group has also launched anti-tank missiles and drones since it joined the war earlier this month. The majority of Hezbollah's fire has targeted Israeli troops in Lebanon rather than Israel's home front, according to the Israeli military.

Israel said it launched an expanded ground invasion in Lebanon this week to defend its northern communities and dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure. Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz, said the operation would be similar to the Israeli war in Gaza, where some cities were almost entirely flattened, and his comments suggest Israeli troops could hold on to a chunk of Lebanese territory for an indefinite period.

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March 19, 2026 05:40 ET (09:40 GMT)

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