Israeli Forces on Sunday claimed that it had captured a Hezbollah militant alive in Southern Lebanon, marking the first such capture since the military operations escalated in the region.

According to an IDF statement, the operation began when soldiers identified an underground tunnel shaft hidden within a building. After he was arrested, the Israeli army claimed that they had interrogated him in the field and then brought him to a detention facility for further investigation.

"During IDF operations in southern Lebanon, forces discovered an underground tunnel shaft inside a building and captured a Hezbollah terrorist. The troops surrounded the building, found the tunnel entrance, and uncovered a hidden underground complex about 7 meters deep, spanning 50 meters, equipped for an extended stay. Inside, the terrorist was found with weapons and supplies. After the terrorist surrendered, IDF soldiers interrogated him on-site before transferring him to a detention facility for further questioning," IDF wrote in X.

Israel hits Lebanon from the air and fights Hezbollah on the ground

Israel expanded its aerial bombardment in Lebanon, hitting areas in and outside traditional Hezbollah bastions, as the Iran-backed group reported "point-blank range" fighting Sunday and Israel said it captured a Hezbollah militant.

In areas where Hezbollah holds sway, Israeli warplanes hit a 100-year-old mosque in a village near the border on Sunday, Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) said.

On Saturday a marketplace in the southern city of Nabatiyeh was targeted.

There were also deadly strikes on a Shiite Muslim village in a mostly Christian mountain area and another in north Lebanon, the health ministry said.