The raids were said to be focused on gathering intelligence about Hezbollah positions close to the Israeli-Lebanese border, but American officials said they believed that any incursion would be a limited one.

Officials tell The Associated Press that Israel has launched small, precision raids across the border in Lebanon and that a larger ground operation is being planned

BEIRUT—Israel launched a ground operation in Lebanon, sharply escalating its offensive against the militant group Hezbollah days after killing its top leader in an airstrike in Beirut. The Israeli military said it launched what it called a limited operation in a number of villages in southern Lebanon near the border to attack Hezbollah targets and infrastructure.