Fresh Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon soon after the Israeli army told residents in 20 locations — including the city of Nabatieh — to leave ahead of planned raids.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli airstrikes targeted multiple areas covered by the warning, naming the villages of Rihan and Sujud, both situated not far from Nabatieh.
In its alert, the Israeli army instructed people to “evacuate your homes immediately and move to the north of the Zahrani River”, a line that places civilians roughly 45km from the Israeli border.
The military last month designated all territory south of the Zahrani River as “combat zones”, a step that has been followed by continued strikes in the area.
Late yesterday, the NNA also described explosions and artillery fire near the Ali Taher hills, which overlook Nabatieh.
Hezbollah, which has sustained attacks on Israeli troops who have invaded south Lebanon, said its fighters confronted Israeli forces advancing yesterday toward the town of Majdal Zoun.
Israel and Hezbollah have been at war since early March, when the Iran-backed group drew Lebanon into the wider Middle East conflict by firing rockets at Israel to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes.
Lebanese authorities say Israel responded with a sweeping air campaign and a ground invasion that has killed more than 3,700 people in Lebanon.
Fighting has persisted despite an April ceasefire that neither side has observed. A conditional truce announced this month after a fourth round of direct Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in Washington has also failed to stop the violence.
Hezbollah has rejected both the direct talks and the conditional deal, arguing the arrangement obliges it to end attacks while omitting any requirement for Israel to do the same or to withdraw troops from Lebanon.
Iran, for its part, says Lebanon must be included in any settlement meant to end the broader Middle East war, and a senior US official said Friday that a peace deal with Iran “includes Lebanon”.
Lebanon’s leaders, however, have accused Tehran of treating the country as a “bargaining chip”.
Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad called on Lebanon to seize any opportunity presented by an agreement ending the Iran war if it encompasses Lebanon.
“We want the Lebanese state to negotiate for itself, and nobody is suggesting forfeiting this role,” Mr Fayyad said, “however, the state must abandon the policy of being crushed in the face of the Israelis and submission to the Americans.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said in a statement on X that Lebanon is confronting “a fateful test”.
“Either its people unite around a sovereign state that monopolises weapons, upholds the law and protects citizens irrespective of their affiliation or position, or it remains hostage to the logic of militias,” the statement said.
