Israel-Lebanon latest: Hezbollah ready for Israeli ground invasion, vows deputy leader, as central Beirut hit

The deputy leader of Hezbollah has vowed they are ready for an Israeli invasion and will defeat any forces that cross into Lebanon .

In his first speech since Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah over the weekend, the group’s deputy chief Naim Qassem said the militia was confident they could replicate its success during the 2006 war with Israel and fight invading forces back off its territory.

“We are confident the Israeli enemy will not achieve its aims,” Qassem said. “We will confront any possibility and are ready if Israel decides to enter by land.”

Israel intensified its military campaign across the Middle East on Monday, striking central Beirut for the first time since 2006.

The attacks brought the death toll from Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon to over 1,000 people in the last two weeks, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.

A drone attack also reportedly killed three senior leaders of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a militant group involved in the ongoing conflict with Israel.