Israel said its forces crossed into southern Lebanon on Wednesday in what the military called “special, focused operations” to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure. Troops from the 300th (Baram) Brigade destroyed weapons depots and rocket-launch sites on Jabal Blat Ridge, while reservists from the 9th (Oded) Brigade located and blew up an underground arms store near Labbouneh. The army released drone footage of the raids and reported no Israeli casualties. The incursion is the first ground operation publicly acknowledged by Israel in Lebanon since the U.S.-brokered cease-fire of 27 November 2024. Israel still maintains positions on five strategic hilltops inside Lebanon and, according to Lebanese officials, has carried out almost 3,000 violations of the truce. Beirut has condemned the latest raid as a breach of sovereignty, while Washington continues to press for Hezbollah’s disarmament in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal. Separately, the Israeli military said a drone strike on Tuesday killed Hussein Ali Muzhir, described as Hezbollah’s head of firepower in the Zahrani sector. Hezbollah has not commented on the claim, which follows a series of Israeli strikes against the group despite the cease-fire. The ground raid coincided with a visit to Beirut by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, who is seeking Lebanese agreement to a phased plan that would see non-state factions hand over heavy weapons in return for an Israeli pull-back and international economic support. In a further sign of regional volatility, the IDF later reported that three soldiers from its 7th Brigade were wounded by sniper fire in Gaza City on Wednesday night.