Israel’s military ground operation in southern Lebanon has been expanded, the country’s defense minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday. Katz did not clarify when the decision to expand operations was taken and did not offer any details on what the expansion entails.

They are areas where Hezbollah has a strong presence and which have been frequently targeted by Israel during its war with the Iran-backed political and military group. Aramoun is a religiously mixed area and until Wednesday it was deemed safe because it had not been hit before.

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has deepened in recent days despite diplomatic efforts to move toward a temporary truce.