Israel’s military has launched a fresh wave of “limited and targeted” ground operations against Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, officials reported Monday.

“This activity is part of broader defensive efforts to establish and strengthen a forward defensive posture, which includes the dismantling of terrorist infrastructure and the elimination of terrorists operating in the area,” the Israel Defense Forces posted on X.

The operations are also designed to create an “additional layer” of security for residents in northern Israel, according to the IDF, which also said it was carrying out airstrikes in a bid to “remove threats” posed by Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Israeli soldiers are in “new locations” they were not operating in Sunday, military spokesperson Nadav Shoshani said, while the Jewish state’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said the ground invasion would continue until Hezbollah no longer poses a threat to those living in northern Israel. 

Katz previously warned Hezbollah would pay a “heavy price” and that Israeli forces would destroy infrastructure used by the terror group if it did not disarm.

Monday’s attack comes after Israeli troops killed Hezbollah officials in a raid on Saturday night, according to the Times of Israel.

Senior Israeli officials had alluded to the prospect of a ground invasion in Lebanon for several days – with the mission likened to operations against Hamas in Gaza. 

“We are going to do what we did in Gaza,” one senior official told Axios in a report published Friday.

“The goal is to take over territory, push Hezbollah’s forces north and away from the border, and dismantle its military positions and weapons depots in the villages.”

According to Israeli state media KAN, plans to mobilize up to 450,000 reservists had also been drawn up.