Israel did not announce 'end of ground invasion' in Lebanon on October 25

What is the claim? 

Social media posts falsely claim that Israel has announced the end of a "ground invasion" in Lebanon.

An image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with overlaid text that reads, "BREAKING Israel announces the end of the ground invasion in Lebanon due to failure and losses of many IOF soldiers," is viral on TikTok. The post, captioned "25/10/2024," has over 11,000 likes, 2670 comments, and was reshared 1,111 times. A similar claim surfaced on Facebook as well.  

Screenshot of the viral TikTok post. (Source: TikTok/Modified by Logically Facts) 

The Israel-Lebanon conflict escalated in October 2024 after Israel's strikes on Lebanon, purported to target the militant group Hezbollah. Israel's offensive has resulted in over 3,000 deaths in Lebanon so far. 

However, we found this claim to be false. The Israel Defence Force (IDF) has not made such an announcement. Israeli ground strikes in Lebanon have also continued since October 25, contrary to the posts' claim. 

What we found 

A Google search elicited no reports from the Israeli government website or credible news outlets about a halt to ground operations in Lebanon on October 25, which began on October 1, 2024. We also found no mention of a halt to ground operations by the IDF on their social media profiles.

An October 28 report by the Israeli media outlet Jerusalem Post about the Israel ground operation reported on the death of five IDF soldiers killed on October 26 in southern Lebanon. It also reported the ground strikes conducted by the Israeli forces to target the Lebanon-based Hezbollah group since the beginning of October under "Operation Northern Arrows."

An IDF press release from October 30 (archived here) reported that Israeli Chief of the General Staff, LTG Herzi Halevi, conducted a field tour in Western Galilee and discussed ground raids in southern Lebanon with soldiers.

Further, Israeli media outlets The Times of Israel and Haaretz reported on the death of six IDF soldiers on November 13 from the Golani Brigade in Lebanon after a clash with the Hezbollah militant group. 

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz was quoted in a November 14 CNN article saying that the country's ground operations in southern Lebanon have expanded. Katz was quoted telling soldiers on November 13: "We have expanded the ground maneuver in southern Lebanon and we are operating against Hezbollah targets in the Dahiyeh district in Beirut and wherever necessary."

We also found an IDF press release (archived here) from November 15 about ground operations by the Israeli Commando Brigade, which included soldiers from the Egoz, Maglan and Duvdevan Units. It stated that limited, localized, targeted ground operations were conducted on "several new enemy targets" in southern Lebanon. A New York Times article dated November 15 also quotes an anonymous Lebanese military official who said the Israeli ground forces were conducting operations around the town of Chamaa in Lebanon. 

A November 17 Associated Press (AP) report, quoting the Lebanese state media, stated that Israeli forces captured a "strategic hill" in the southern village of Chamaa, close to the Israel and Lebanon border. A November 18 Al Jazeera report stated that the militant group Hezbollah reportedly targeted and killed Israeli forces in Khiam, in southern Lebanon. 

These reports show that contrary to the social media claims, Israeli ground operations in Lebanon have not ceased since October 25 and have been continuing into November 2024. 

The verdict 

Israel's ground operation is ongoing in Lebanon, and neither the IDF nor the Israeli government have announced the halt of ground raids in Lebanon due to its failure or loss of Israeli soldiers.