Israel begins ground offensive in southern Lebanon [Video]

Israeli ground forces invaded southern Lebanon overnight Monday, marking a significant escalation in the nearly year-long war in the Middle East.New video released from the Israeli military reportedly shows soldiers preparing for what they are calling “targeted operations” in Lebanon. The raids are aimed at Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah, following months of airstrikes between both sides.Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel at the start of the war in Gaza in solidarity with Hamas. The strikes on both sides have escalated recently. An operation Israel is believed to be behind blew up Hezbollah communications devices. Further strikes from Israel knocked out most of Hezbollah’s leadership.The fighting has killed over 1,000 people in Lebanon over the past two weeks, adding to the 41,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza and over 1,200 Israelis killed at the onset of the war.There is no word from Israel how long the targeted raids will last.In a …