Lebanon Army joins forces with Hezbollah opening fire on Israel as no-go zone expands

Lebanon's government has not involved the country's official armed forces in the conflict since it began, but has laid heavy criticism on Israel for "looking for war"

Hezbollah was joined on the frontlines in Lebanon by the Lebanese army today as Israel's ground operation forced soldiers to enter a firefight.

Israel's operation targeting the Iran-backed militant group has seen IDF soldiers penetrate the southern flank of the Middle Eastern nation, displacing millions of Lebanese citizen. While locals have been profoundly affected by the fighting, Lebanon's official armed forces - a separate entity from Hezbollah - have kept the conflict at an arm's length.

But the army was forced to enter the fray today after a volley of Israeli fire directed at one of its bases left one soldier dead, marking a major point in the conflict. In a statement released today, the Lebanese armed forces confirmed that troops fired back at Israel following a strike directed at the outpost.

A spokesperson for the Lebanese army said the exchange of fire took place in the Bint Jbeil area of southern Lebanon. They said: "A soldier was killed after the Israeli enemy targeted an army post in the Bint Jbeil area - in the south, and the personnel at the post responded to the sources of fire."

The spokesperson did not comment on how long the exchange lasted, or whether it would warrant any further action from Lebanon's government. The exchange was the first of the latest phase of the war so far, with army representatives stressing they are not party to the conflict.

The state has made clear that it does not want a war, and reportedly pulled back troops from the site of Israel's incursion on Monday. News agencies cited multiple Lebanese security sources claiming that they pulled back three miles north from their border positions as reports of the impending ground assault broke.

The source suggested Lebanon was "repositioning and regrouping forces" following threats of the Israeli incursion against Hezbollah targets, which Lebanese officials have denied. While the government has not involved itself in the conflict, Lebanon's interim prime minister has not shied away from criticising the Israeli government.

On Wednesday, Najib Mikati said 1.2 million people across the country have been displaced, saying Israel is "looking for war" as he pled for peace. He said: "Anyone who cares about Lebanon, I say we have to have our ceasefire.

"We don't need more blood. We don't need more destruction. Why is Israel not accepting a ceasefire today? They are looking for war, we are looking for a diplomatic solution. They are choosing the lose-lose option."