BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The Lebanese Parliament voted on Monday to extend its mandate by two additional years, citing the impossibility of holding parliamentary elections amid the ongoing escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, local media reported.

A total of 76 lawmakers voted in favor, 41 against, and four abstained, according to local media reports.

The extension comes as the country faces ongoing escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, which has raised concerns over the feasibility of holding parliamentary elections.

Also on Monday, at least seven Israeli airstrikes have been reported so far, including two in the morning. The strikes hit branches of Al-Qard Al-Hassan, a Hezbollah-affiliated financial institution, in Sfeir, Burj al-Barajneh, and Haret Hreik. Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned residents to evacuate the southern suburbs as the Israeli army announced plans to target the institution's branches across Lebanon.

The Israeli military said on Monday that its forces had begun a ground raid in southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah infrastructure and personnel.

Before the troops moved in, a wave of heavy aerial and artillery strikes hit the region overnight.

According to a military statement, the raid is intended to establish "forward defensive positions" within Lebanese territory, saying the move is needed to secure communities in northern Israel.

On March 2, Hezbollah announced the launch of rockets from Lebanon toward Israel for the first time since a ceasefire was declared on Nov. 27, 2024, prompting the government to ban its security and military activities, limiting it to political work and obligating it to hand over its weapons.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army launched what it described as an "offensive military campaign" against Hezbollah, carrying out intense airstrikes on multiple Lebanese areas and border ground incursions, accompanied by warnings for residents to evacuate areas south of the Litani River and Beirut's southern suburbs.