The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon has condemned Israel’s ground offensive in southern Lebanon launched earlier on Tuesday, saying it violates the country’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity”, reported German news agency (dpa).

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil), which has been monitoring the situation on the Israeli-Lebanese border, said in a statement that it was notified by the Israeli army a day earlier about “their intention to undertake limited ground incursions into Lebanon”.

“Despite this dangerous development, peacekeepers remain in position,” Unifil said.

“We are regularly adjusting our posture...