Israeli claims that its soldiers began ground operations inside southern Lebanon "are false," Hezbollah said in a Tuesday statement. "No direct ground clashes have yet taken place between the resistance fighters and the occupation forces," the group said, referring to Israeli troops.

The Israeli military has warned people in around 50 villages and towns to evacuate north of the Awali River, some 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the border and much farther than th

Israel said its troops are active in south Lebanon in what the Israel Defense Forces called "limited, localized, and targeted ground raids" targeting Hezbollah positions.

Israel's limited ground incursion into Lebanon could be imminent, two more U.S. officials have told ABC News. One of the officials said Israel notified the U.S. of its intentions. Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh would not confirm as much when repeatedly asked Monday,