Lebanon was pulled deeper into the war in the Middle East on Tuesday as the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah launched ​missiles at Israel for a second consecutive day and Israel sent troops into the south and carried out waves of air ‌strikes.

Lebanon's health ministry says 31 people were killed by Israeli strikes, while there are no reports of casualties in Israel.

BEIRUT, March 2 (Reuters) - Lebanon's government on Monday banned ⁠military ⁠activities by Hezbollah after it opened fire on Israel to ⁠avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader, a move likely to fuel tension with the Tehran-backed group as it faces a new Israeli offensive.

The Israeli military said troops advanced to protect border towns from Hezbollah attacks, spurring fears that the government is weighing a wider ground war.

According to the Israeli military, soldiers have been positioned at several points along the border in southern Lebanon to strengthen defensive positions.

The Israeli military has not ruled out a ground invasion of Lebanon, with a spokesperson stating that 'All options are on the table'. This follows Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, which were launched

The militant group’s attacks, apparently at the behest of Iran, led to retaliation from Israel and were “practically a suicide mission” for Hezbollah, an analyst said.

Israel said it is hitting missile launch sites and weapon storage facilities in Lebanon belonging to Hezbollah, after the Iran-backed group fired missiles at Israel. NBC News’ Daniele Hamamdjian reports on the proxy fight.

Israel opened up a new front in the Middle East conflict, with an official offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon. That's after the group fired rockets towards Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader.

Dozens of people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, local authorities said on Monday. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that at least 31 people were killed and 149 others injured

Lebanon's prohibited Hezbollah from all military activities, hours after the Iran-backed group fired missiles and drones into northern Israel,