Israel's top general announces plans for possible ground invasion of Lebanon

Israel's military is preparing for a possible ground operation in Lebanon, according to its army's top general.

Addressing troops on the northern border, IDF Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi said Wednesday the latest Israeli airstrikes were designed to ”prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah.”

Meanwhile, Hezbollah hurled dozens of projectiles into Israel, including a missile aimed at Tel Aviv that was the militant group's deepest strike yet.

In an apparent reference to the missile aimed at Tel Aviv, he said: "Today, Hezbollah expanded its range of fire, and later today, they will receive a very strong response. Prepare yourselves.”

Israeli military officials said they intercepted Hezbollah's surface-to-surface missile, launched after Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed hundreds of people, as the two sides teeter towards an all-out war.

The missile set off air-raid sirens in Tel Aviv and across central Israel. There were no reports of casualties or damage. The military said it struck the site in southern Lebanon where the missile was launched.

Hezbollah said it fired a Qader 1 ballistic missile targeting the headquarters of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, which it blames for a recent string of targeted killings of its top commanders and for an attack last week in which explosives hidden in pagers and walkie-talkies killed dozens of people and wounded thousands, including many Hezbollah members.

The Israeli military said it was the first time a projectile fired from Lebanon had reached central Israel.

The rocket fire over the past week has disrupted life for more than 1 million people across northern Israel, with schools closed and restrictions on public gatherings.

Many restaurants