All articles tagged with #southern lebanon
Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 11 people as violence surges despite US-brokered ceasefire deals; Lebanon’s leaders condemn the attacks and negotiations over withdrawal and Hezbollah disarmament continue but remain fragile, with Israel saying it is targeting Hezbollah after attacks on soldiers while civilians bear the cost amid broader Gaza-related tensions.
Israeli air strikes killed at least 11 people and wounded 19 in southern Lebanon, hitting Ansar and Deir ez-Zahrani in Nabatieh district. Hezbollah warned of retaliation and Lebanese officials condemned the attacks as dangerous; Israel said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in response to actions against its soldiers. The strikes continue amid fragile diplomacy, heightening fears in a region already tense between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israeli forces carried out a series of large detonations near the UNESCO-listed Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon, claiming to have destroyed Hezbollah tunnels as part of an effort to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure, using about 700 tons of explosives amid a US-brokered ceasefire framework, with reports of damage to homes as Israeli troops reportedly advance further into Lebanese territory.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, visiting soldiers in southern Lebanon, said Hezbollah is exhausted and Israel now controls key terrain around Beaufort Ridge, describing it as saturated with Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure including underground tunnels. He stressed Lebanon's ceasefire obligations to clear Hezbollah infrastructure and warned Israel will continue decisive offensive actions if the ceasefire is violated. Netanyahu denied reports that Trump blocked Israeli operations and said Lebanon talks continue, including a pilot program for the Lebanese Armed Forces to verify Hezbollah clearance.
The Israel Defense Forces said they destroyed an underground Hezbollah complex in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border, including a tunnel over 200 meters long that housed hundreds of weapons and multiple rocket silos built with Iranian assistance. The operation, conducted after Israel notified the United States, follows a US-brokered framework aimed at disarming Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Israel says it will keep forces in the security zone and continue striking Hezbollah infrastructure to protect northern communities.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem denounced the Washington-brokered framework linking a ceasefire with Hezbollah disarmament, saying Hezbollah will continue to resist as Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon and casualties rise. Protests followed in Beirut, and the Lebanese army urged restraint. The agreement does not mandate an immediate withdrawal but is framed as a path to normalisation and future direct talks, with some Lebanese officials praising it as progress while others warn it could empower Israel if Hezbollah remains armed. Israel signaled a potential extended stay in the security zone, and the toll from the conflict has surpassed 4,246 killed and 12,190 wounded since March.
On Lebanon’s southern edge, mixed Shiite and Christian communities face fear, displacement, and renewed tensions as Israeli raids, warnings against sheltering militants, and cross‑community mistrust intensify. Residents recount damaged homes, killings, and detentions, with towns like Jdeidat Marjayoun and Halta divided over sheltering displaced neighbors, illustrating fragility and calls for Israel’s withdrawal amid a war that risks eroding long‑standing coexistence.
Lebanon’s National News Agency says Israeli drone strikes hit three vehicles in southern Lebanon, killing four people (two in Mayfadoun in a double-tap and two in Shoukin) and wounding others, with a second strike after people gathered at the scene; there was no immediate comment from the IDF. Earlier, the IDF intercepted Hezbollah rockets toward an Israeli post and destroyed the rocket launcher, and also struck a suspicious vehicle near active troops.
PlanetScope imagery analyzed by Bellingcat shows that at least 46 of 54 towns within the IDF’s Yellow Line in southern Lebanon have been heavily damaged or destroyed over roughly the first two months of the US-Israeli war against Iran, with much of the destruction occurring in recent weeks. The images indicate demolitions carried out with explosives or heavy equipment, affecting border towns such as Naqoura and Kfar Kila, and reflect ongoing damage amid a fragile ceasefire.
Pope Leo XIV comforted 13 priests from southern Lebanon with a surprise video call from Rome, offering spiritual support amid the region's tensions and ongoing conflict around Beirut.
Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed 10 people and wounded two Israeli soldiers after a Hezbollah drone attack, as cross-border fighting with Hezbollah escalates and civilians in Tyre suffer destruction.
An Al Jazeera Arabic visual investigation using satellite imagery and open-source data says Israel’s campaign in southern Lebanon is systematically destroying civilian homes and infrastructure—centered on Bint Jbeil—with more than 70% of the city destroyed and about 3,000 housing units levelled, as experts warn of a deliberate effort to empty residential geography and create a buffer zone, while Hezbollah vows to resist and international intervention is urged.
Amid ongoing fighting with Hezbollah, some Israelis along the northern border advocate a long-term security strategy that could involve settling southern Lebanon and depopulating nearby Lebanese areas, a goal tied to the fringe Uri Tzafon movement and supported by border residents who fear displacement but push for a stronger Israeli footprint; others warn the plan is impractical and costly while the war continues.
The IDF’s 98th Division announced it is gaining operational control of the southern Lebanon town of Bint Jbail, where Hezbollah and Radwan Force operatives are believed present. In the broader border hostilities, Hezbollah fired roughly 50 rockets at Israel (about 40 crossed into Israeli territory and were intercepted), as Israel reinforces its defense posture along the Lebanon border with multiple divisions active.
Israel’s defence minister said the army will occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River to form a defensive buffer, a move Hezbollah vowed to resist as cross-border strikes and demolitions intensify; the Lebanon conflict has killed over 1,000 people and displaced more than a million.