Trump says Hezbollah 'rapidly being eliminated' as Israel launches Lebanon ground offensive

2026-03-16 - 20:02

US President Donald Trump on Monday said that Hezbollah has been "a big problem" that was "rapidly being eliminated," as Israel launched a ground offensive in Lebanon targeting the Iranian-backed group. Speaking at a meeting with Kennedy Center board members, Trump was asked whether he discussed the matter with Israeli leadership and if the US supports the Israeli ground invasion of southern Lebanon. He did not give a direct answer, saying only: "Hezbollah is a problem, problem for a long time." Israeli operation confirmed Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed early Monday that the army began the ground operation in Lebanon. On Sunday, Israel's public broadcaster reported that the military had sought government approval to mobilize 450,000 reservists in preparation for the offensive. The ground invasion marks a significant escalation in the northern front of the broader regional conflict. Escalation timeline Israel expanded airstrikes across Lebanon, including the capital Beirut, on March 2 following cross-border Hezbollah attacks amid the broader regional escalation triggered by the joint US-Israeli offensive against Iran. Since then, the campaign has intensified steadily, with airstrikes hitting Beirut's southern suburbs and areas across southern and eastern Lebanon before the ground incursion. Humanitarian toll Lebanese health authorities said the strikes have killed at least 886 people, wounded more than 2,100 others and displaced over 830,000. The ground offensive threatens to increase these numbers dramatically as Israeli forces push into Lebanese territory. Israel occupies areas in southern Lebanon, some of them for decades and others seized during the most recent war between October 2023 and November 2024. Regional context The Lebanon operation is part of broader regional escalation since the US and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, killing over 1,300 people including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has retaliated with strikes targeting Israel and Gulf states, while Hezbollah's involvement has opened a northern front with devastating consequences for Lebanese civilians.