THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

The Regional War Lebanon Hoped to Avoid: Unpacking the Escalation On Monday, March 2, 2026, Lebanon got pulled into a regional war that many in the country had hoped to avoid. The impact on the ground has been devastating. Since the November 2024 ceasefire and prior to this latest escalation, Israel had been conducting near-daily military strikes on South Lebanon and the Beqaa in the country’s east. When the United States and Israel launched a massive military operation targeting Iran on February 28, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated. In a self-described act of retaliation for Khamenei’s killing, Hezbollah launched a rocket and drone attack against a military site in Haifa. This marked the first time that Hezbollah had attacked Israel since the 2024 ceasefire. Israel has since responded with sweeping airstrikes in South Lebanon, Beirut’s southern suburbs, and the Beqaa, while Hezbollah has launched new rounds of rockets into Israel. Israeli troops are also advancing further in Lebanese territory, and they continue their strikes; they have also issued evacuation notices to all of Beirut’s densely populated southern suburbs and Lebanon’s south. As of Ma…

Target Eliminated: Top Hezbollah Firepower Chief Killed in Precision ... Loading... Eliana Fleming MAR 5, 2026 19:34 3 min read Your browser does not support the video tag. Download the video here . IAF strikes in Lebanon (photo: IDF Spokesperson Unit) The I srael Defense Forces confirmed late Thursday that a high precision airstrike in Beirut successfully neutralized Zaid Ali Jumaa, the head of Hezbollah’s fire management array. Known by his nom de guerre "Fidaa," Jumaa was a veteran commander who orchestrated the launching of thousands of rockets, missiles, and suicide drones from Lebanese territory into Israel. His death marks a significant escalation in the northern theater of the war, as the IDF moves from defensive containment to the systematic dismantling of Hezbollah’ s senior command structure. Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir emphasized that this operation is part of a broader strategy to remove the threat of Hezbollah ’s arsenal entirely, stating that the days of "equations" and limited responses are over. The Career of a Terror Architect Zaid Ali Jumaa was not a newcomer to the regional war landscape. According to military intelligence, he played a pivotal role in su…

An Opportunity to Shape a New Reality with Lebanon - INSS An Opportunity to Shape a New Reality with Lebanon Elisa Gestri/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect Elisa Gestri/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect Policy Paper, September 8, 2025 Orna Mizrahi This policy paper proposes a strategy to translate the IDF’s achievements in the war against Hezbollah—along with the disintegration of the Shiite axis, the collapse of the Assad regime, and the consequences of the war between Israel and Iran—into a new security reality along the border with Lebanon, and to foster better relations with Lebanon’s new leadership. The strategy combines ongoing military action to weaken Hezbollah and prevent its recovery with political and economic measures designed to diminish the organization while simultaneously strengthening Lebanon’s pro-Western leadership. This approach differs from the one recently presented to Lebanon by the US administration, as it considers the constraints of Lebanon’s weak leadership and the necessity of bolstering it in light of the challenge of disarming Hezbollah. It outlines a more realistic timetable and offers Israel greater flexibility, thereby increasing the chances of success…

Israel's War Against Lebanon, Explained - TIME Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to “intensify” strikes against the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. In a filmed statement on Monday, Netanyahu said Israel is “at war with Hezbollah” and that the military has been told to deal them a “crushing” blow. Israel and Hezbollah have continued to trade strikes since the fragile April 16 truce was agreed upon, with both sides accusing each other of violating the cease-fire . The hostilities pose a grave risk to the U.S.-Iran peace deal talks , as Tehran has expressed that any deal would need to include a halt of the attacks in Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday said it had struck “70+ Hezbollah infrastructure sites… in several areas across Lebanon.” In the coastal city of Tyre, “10 command centers, weapons storage facilities, and additional infrastructure sites used by Hezbollah,” were also struck, the IDF added. Over the weekend, Netanyahu said he had spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump, who had “reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself against threats on every front, including Lebanon.” A U.S. official has reportedly since told the press: “Hezboll…

Lebanon: Israel Unlawfully Destroying Reconstruction Equipment Click to expand Image A destroyed bulldozer and other damaged heavy machinery from an Israeli airstrike on September 3, 2025 on Ansariyeh, southern Lebanon. © 2025 Human Rights Watch (Beirut)  – The Israeli military’s repeated attacks on reconstruction-related equipment and other civilian facilities in southern Lebanon throughout 2025 violate the laws of war and are apparent war crimes , Human Rights Watch said today. Residents and local municipal authorities told Human Rights Watch that the attacks have hampered reconstruction efforts and the ability of tens of thousands of displaced people to return to their homes in southern Lebanon. Over 10,000 buildings were heavily damaged or destroyed there between October 2023 and January 2025. “Amid the ceasefire, Israeli forces have carried out attacks that unlawfully target reconstruction-related equipment and facilities,” said Ramzi Kaiss , Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch. “After reducing many of Lebanon’s southern border towns to rubble, the Israeli military is now making it much more difficult for tens of thousands of residents to rebuild their destroyed homes an…

Israel's Ethnic Cleansing of South Lebanon - Untold Mag Nabatieh in 1960. Wikimedia Commons. Public domain There is a particular cruelty in destruction that goes unwitnessed or unrecognized. Not merely the bombs, but the silence that follows when the world turns its gaze elsewhere, scrolling past the rubble and the blood as if it were content rather than catastrophe, only preoccupied by a closed trade route and fluctuating oil prices rather than the ethnic cleansing of a people. That silence has enveloped south Lebanon, and it is becoming yet another moral failure of an era defined by live streamed genocides, the death of international law, and pride in war crimes. What is happening in south Lebanon is not, by any serious measure, a proportionate military campaign. It is the systematic hollowing out of a people from their ancestral land, and an eradication of life from that land itself. To date, Israeli attacks on Lebanon since October 2023 have killed more than 7,000 people and injured more than 24,000, according to conservative numbers by the Lebanese Health Ministry, with the majority civilians. More than one million people – a fifth of the population – are displaced, while…

What is Hezbollah and what does Lebanon have to do with the Israel ... Thousands of people were injured and at least nine killed in Lebanon and Syria on Sept. 17 when pagers held by members of the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, a powerful ally of Hamas , exploded almost simultaneously in their hands, bags and pockets. Hezbollah and Lebanese officials quickly blamed Israel for what appeared to have been a well orchestrated attack. Hezbollah vowed to exact revenge, further fueling concern of a possible full-scale war between the group and Israel, as the war between Israel and Hamas continues in Gaza. Israel's government and military declined to comment on the explosions, but The Associated Press said Israeli officials had briefed the U.S. government on the operation retrospectively. Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Patrick Ryder said earlier that the U.S. had no involvement in the attack. "It's a warning," Sima Shine, the former head of research at Israel's foreign intelligence agency Mossad, told CBS News. "If Israel did it, it has to take into account that Hezbollah will retaliate, and we are escalating to a kind of a war — short, long, I don't know — but a war." Below is a lo…

Netanyahu Push to End US Military Aid Signals Strategic Shift in Israel's ... Security Netanyahu Push to End US Military Aid Signals Strategic Shift in Israel’s Multi-Front War Move to reduce reliance on Washington could reshape Israel’s military autonomy amid ongoing clashes with Hezbollah, Hamas, and Yemen’s Houthis 2026-05-17 12:06 Israeli army tanks maneuver near the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights from Syria, in the town of Majdal Shams, Dec. 11, 2024. (AP) Middle East Israel-Proxy War Israel-Hezbollah war Israel-Houthis war Israel-Hamas war ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent call for a gradual end to Israel’s reliance on US military aid signals a potential long-term shift in defense strategy as the country continues fighting Iran-backed armed groups across multiple fronts, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Hamas in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen. Netanyahu called for gradually ending Israel’s reliance on US military aid in a recent televised interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes. During the interview, Netanyahu said Israel should begin “drawing down to zero” the annual US military assistance and complete the p…

Why Lebanon Can't Protect Itself From Israel or Disarm Hezbollah Analysis The U.S. War on Iran Has Put the Lebanese Government in a Bind It can neither protect Lebanon from Israel nor disarm Hezbollah. By Thanassis Cambanis , the director of Century International. A girl holds a picture of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut on March 8, during a protest against the ongoing Israel-Hezbollah hostilities. A girl holds a picture of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut on March 8, during a protest against the ongoing Israel-Hezbollah hostilities. Toufic Rmeiti/Middle East Images via AFP Get audio access with any FP subscription. Subscribe Now ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER? LOGIN March 16, 2026, 10:18 AM In the past two weeks, Lebanon has witnessed internal strife unimaginable since the end of the civil war in 1990. Lebanon’s president accused Hezbollah of betraying the country. By near unanimous decision, Lebanon’s cabinet voted to rule Hezbollah’s militia illegal. Longtime allies have turned against the Shiite Islamist group, which has dragged Lebanon into war twice in three years. Hezbollah supporters have in turn accused the government of treason for seeking to…

Lebanon: How Israel, Hezbollah and regional powers are shaping its future Lebanese soldiers secure the site of an Israeli attack in Beirut as rescue workers search the rubble for buried people. Daniel Carde / Getty Images file Share Add NBC News to Google May 25, 2026, 11:53 AM EDT By Jonathan Masters This article was originally published on CFR.org and updated by NBC News. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. Lebanon is again at a critical junction. Following the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in February 2026 and the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel , opening a new front of the war. Lebanon’s political and economic crisis has since deepened, worsened by its fragile political, economic, and security environment. And yet U.S.-brokered talks between Israel and the Lebanese government in April 2026—the first in decades—offer an opportunity for peace. Just a moment. We are getting your experience ready.

Hezbollah vows to keep arms as Qassem slams Lebanese government plan ... Hezbollah vows to keep arms as Qassem slams Lebanese government plan Speaking at a memorial, Qassem accused the Lebanese government of following US-Israeli orders and warned of civil war if Hezbollah is forced to surrender its weapons. Yitz Goldberg Aug 25, 2025, 7:01 PM (GMT+3) Lebanon Hezbollah Naim Qassem Abbas Musawi Disarmament 2 minutes Naim Qassem Al Manar TV/Reuters TV via REUTERS Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem delivered a televised address on Monday, condemning the Lebanese government's recently announced plan to disarm the terror organization by the end of the year. His comments came during a memorial for Ayatollah Sayyed Abbas Mousawi, former Hezbollah leader, and were dedicated in part to the memory of the group’s so-called “resistance martyrs.” Qassem opened by praising the legacy of Mousawi and other Hezbollah figures, framing their violent campaigns as foundational to the organization’s continued operations. He warned that the effort to remove Hezbollah’s weapons—a move widely supported by the West and many in Lebanon—would be met with opposition from the group’s base, st…

Fighting persists despite ceasefires in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran | AP News The Israeli combat soldier saw his teammates yelling in celebration, congratulating one another. They had just struck a vehicle of Palestinians driving near the Israeli-controlled part of the Gaza Strip, killing everyone inside. The reservist said scenes like this had become common after a fragile ceasefire took effect in October. Traffic jams were seen in Southern Beirut, Monday, as residents attempted to flee after Israel ordered strikes on Dahiyeh where Hezbollah enjoys widespread support. The Israeli military was given orders to attack the southern suburbs, a day after the army reached its deepest point in Lebanon in 26 years and as Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israel including the outskirts of coastal city of Haifa. (AP video by Fadi Tawil and Mohamad Anouti) Air sirens went off across Kuwait City earlier on Monday as Tehran struck Kuwait in response to the United States bombing military sites in Iran. Israeli forces have made their deepest incursion inside Lebanon despite a nominal U.S.-brokered ceasefire and the first direct Israel-Lebanon talks in decades. On Sunday, Israeli forces seized a …

Report: US Warns Iraq About Imminent Israeli Operation Against ... US special envoy Tom Barrack sent a message to the Iraqi government stating that Israel plans to carry out an imminent operation in Lebanon aimed at disarming Hezbollah, the Saudi outlet Al-Hadath reported on Monday. According to the report, Barrack warned Baghdad to avoid any escalation in the region and to refrain from involvement. He added that Israel would strike inside Iraq if pro-Iranian militias there intervened. Kan News reported on Motzei Shabbos that Israel complained to the US about the Lebanese army’s failure to disarm Hezbollah. The US conveyed a message to the Lebanese government that if the Lebanese army does not act effectively against Hezbollah, the Israeli Air Force will significantly increase the scope of its strikes in Lebanon, including in areas it has so far refrained from attacking due to demands from the Trump administration. The report noted that Israel initially wanted to set a deadline for the Lebanese government to complete Hezbollah’s disarmament but is now waiting for a decision from Washington. US Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus is scheduled to visit Israel and Lebanon this week. …

Iraq calls for emergency Arab, Islamic summit to halt Israeli ... September 25, 2024 at 11:33 am Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein Fuad Hussein in Baghdad, Iraq on February 06, 2024 [Murtadha J. A. Al-sudani – Anadolu Agency] Iraq’s Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, yesterday proposed holding an emergency Arab and Islamic summit aimed at “unifying efforts to halt Israeli aggression” in Lebanon,Anadolureported. Since Monday morning, the Israeli military has launched what is described as its “most intense and wide-ranging” assault on Lebanon since hostilities with Hezbollah began nearly a year ago. The attacks resulted in 569 deaths, including 50 children and 94 women, and left 1,835 wounded, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. Hussein, who also serves as deputy prime minister, stated via X: “During yesterday’s meeting of the council of the Arab League at the ministerial level, I proposed the convening of an emergency Arab and Islamic summit aimed at unifying efforts to stop the Israeli aggression on Lebanon.” He emphasised “the importance of urgent action and collective efforts to protect the Lebanese people and defend their legitimate rights by international law.” …

In Iran war's shadow, Israel's renewed Lebanon campaign risks repeating ... Buildings destroyed in Israeli airstrikes are seen in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, on May 31, 2026. AP Photo Going into the war in Iran, the Israeli government seemingly had two intertwined goals: to bring down the Islamic Republic and rid Israel of its Hezbollah problem . The logic went that the Lebanese Shiite group – which has posed a persistent threat to Israel for 44 years – would finally succumb if stripped of its Iranian benefactor. After all, Israeli attempts to destroy Hezbollah through direct military action had not been effective, nor had internationally supported disarmament efforts . But as the United States and Iran continue to negotiate over an agreement that might put an end to their war, the Israeli-Lebanese front remains as active as ever. Israel has increased strikes and incursions deeper into Lebanon, while Hezbollah is targeting the Israeli military deployed in southern Lebanon and the civilian population in northern Israel . Worse, from the Israeli government’s perspective, is that Iran has found a way of turning its survival and newfound leverage over the Strait of Hormuz…

A nation in denial: Why Israel's defeat is imminent November 19, 2024 at 8:44 am Demonstrators hold placards during an anti-government protest, in front of the Israeli Defence Ministry in Tel Aviv on November 16, 2024 [JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images] The paradoxical phrase “running away forward” is one of the most apt descriptions that illustrates the state of affairs in Israel right now. It seems that everything that the Zionist state has done in the past year or so is a mere attempt to deny, distract from or escape imminent future scenarios, all of which are bleak. Indeed, the past year has proven repeatedly that Israel’s military supremacy is no longer able to win wars or decide political outcomes. Moreover, thegenocidein Gaza and the rapidtheftof Palestinian land in the West Bank have exposed, like never before, the ugly face of Zionist settler-colonialism. Only those who are wholly indoctrinated or are paying no attention still argue that Israel stands for any kind of moral ideals or is a “light unto the nations”. On top of that, incessant attempts by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to marginalise, if not entirely erase, the Palestinian cause have failed complet…

Analysis: Israeli goals in Lebanon war shift from imminently disarming ... The renewed Lebanon war between Israel and Hezbollah that began on March 2 is now over a month old, with little change in the overall picture or disposition of the main actors. However, Israeli officials have reframed initial publicly stated goals for the conflict away from an imminent disarmament of Hezbollah, signaling a more prolonged approach. Simultaneously, political disagreements over the conflict and Hezbollah’s status have arisen in Lebanon while Hezbollah has escalated its attacks against Israel and rhetoric. The Israeli military continues to control the tempo of the fighting. Israeli operations against Hezbollah remain more intense and expansive than the September to November 2024 phase of the war, but have noticeably transitioned from an initially ferocious retaliatory campaign to a sustained war of attrition. Israeli war aims remain the same. However, the apparent means of achieving them have crystallized into narrower objectives of establishing a security zone in southern Lebanon and continuing to attack Hezbollah’s assets and personnel, while pressing the Lebanese government to disarm the gr…

Israel applies Gaza‑style tactics in Lebanon and accelerates ethnic cleansing | International | EL PAÍS English Antonio Pita Joan Cabasés Vega Jerusalem / Beirut - Apr 27, 2026 - 16:55 CEST Share on Whatsapp Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Desplegar Redes Sociales Prefer EL PAÍS on Google Compartir: Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Bluesky Linkedin Copy link The Israeli army has tried out several names to refer to the territories it occupies in southern Lebanon: “advanced defense line,” “security zone.” It has finally settled on the one that most clearly reveals its intentions there: “Yellow Line.” In Gaza, the Yellow Line designates a supposedly temporary dividing border that separates the 52% of the Gaza Strip — now a depopulated, ruined territory — under Israeli control from the remaining 48%, held by Hamas. This is the plan the government of Benjamin Netanyahu has adopted to keep Hezbollah away from the Israel-Lebanon border. It amounts to a kind of reprise of past failed experiments — the map resembles the 6% of Lebanon that Israel occupied for 15 years until its withdrawal in 2000 — but now in a version marked by displacement and under the cover, at least on paper, of a ceasefir…

What Is Israel Trying to Accomplish in Lebanon? - CSIS Photo: AFP/Getty Images Commentary byDaniel Byman Published March 19, 2026 Although the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran and the Iranian response dominate headlines, the concurrent war between Israel and Lebanon is producing almost as many casualties—over1,000Lebanese have died so far—and has led to the evacuation of parts of northern Israel, thedeathsof several Israelis, and the displacement of over1 millionLebanese in just two weeks. This war is a continuation of past attacks, with March representing a sharp escalation in their scope and scale. The latest round of conflict can be dated to when Hezbollah attacked Israel after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, strike. After months of limited back-and-forth, an all-out war broke out in 2024, which Israel won decisively. Although the two agreed to a ceasefire in November 2024, Israelcarried outhundreds of attacks on Hezbollah positions and personnel since then. Things got much worse after Hezbollah struck Israel with rockets and drones shortly after Operation Epic Fury (Israel calls its operation “Rising Lion”) began. Since that attack, Israel hashitLebanon hard, s…

The war that never ended: Israel seizes moment to finish fight ... - CNN The Middle East See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! Follow Tel Aviv — In early January, Israel was quietly finalizing plans for a wide-scale operation along its northern border. More than a year had passed since a US-brokered ceasefire nominally ended months of open conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that had culminated in a ground invasion of southern Lebanon by Israeli forces. The Lebanese government, which had committed to disarming the Iran-backed militant group in the November 2024 deal, was failing to deliver, Israeli officials told CNN. It was time, they felt, to launch another operation to end Hezbollah’s ability to rain rockets down on Israeli communities for good. Eight days into the new year, Israel’s calculus changed dramatically. Massive anti-regime protests swept across Iran, and suddenly it was Hezbollah’s principal backer that found itself shaken. Dealing with Iran became the overriding priority for Israeli military planners, especially because it required close coordination with the United States on what would become a major joint operation. But the plans for a re…

Houthis, Hezbollah, and Hamas: The Shifting Sands in the Middle East Tuesday 18 March 2025 11:32:01 The regional landscape has once again emerged as a key focal point, continuing the reshaping of the new Middle East from Gaza to Yemen, passing through Lebanon and Syria. After U.S. President Donald Trump launched the largest American military operation in the Middle East since his return to the White House—targeting the Houthis—the ceasefire in Gaza, which had been in place since January 19, quickly unraveled following extensive airstrikes on the region. This escalation prompted the Houthis to condemn the resumption of hostilities in Gaza, issuing a threat to "resume their operations against Israeli ships in the Red Sea and off the coast of Yemen." Such a menace signals the potential for a reversal of recent progress and foreshadows further dramatic developments, which are now unfolding across all fronts, including Lebanon. The developments in the Red Sea, coinciding with the U.S. designation of the Houthis as a terrorist organization, carry two important messages. The first is aimed directly at the Houthis themselves, serving as a warning to deter attacks on maritime traffic an…

Dahiyeh: the Beirut suburb at the heart of an Israeli military doctrine Israeli airstrikes on the south Beirut suburb of Dahiye, March 9 2026. EPA/Wael Hamzeh Over the ten days of the renewed conflict in the Middle East, Beirut’s southern district of Dahiyeh has been targeted by Israel, which is looking to deal a knockout blow to Hezbollah. It’s not the first time the area has been bombarded. Dahiyeh was bombed by Israel during its 2006 war with Hezbollah, again in 2014 and yet again in 2024 and 2025. Now the Israel Defense Forces is bombing the area again . The attacks mark the return of a strategy first developed by the Israeli armed forces in Dahiyeh before becoming a military doctrine , bearing the name of the suburb. The Dahiyeh doctrine is a military strategy that calls for using overwhelming and disproportionate force against civilian infrastructure in areas controlled by hostile armed groups in order to deter attacks on Israel. It has repeatedly put into practice in Gaza. Now the Dahiyeh doctrine is once again being enacted in the place where it was first conceived. Dahiyeh is a Hezbollah stronghold . It became the main urban centre of Lebanon’s Shia population in the midd…

Why Israel is pounding Lebanon with bombs in war with Hezbollah ... Thousands of people in Lebanon are fleeing their homes as conflict between Hezbollah and Israel escalates following the eruption of war in Iran. The conflict has already claimed 123 lives in the country and the UN refugee agency ( UNHCR ) has warned that more than 84,000 people are sheltering in nearly 400 collective sites, according to the government. More than 30,000 people have crossed into neighbouring Syria since the escalation began. After attacks on Iran, Hezbollah launched missiles and drones into Israel on Monday for the first time in over a year. Israel retaliated with bombardment of southern Lebanon and the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut after ordering its residents to leave, while the Iran-backed group warned Israelis to leave towns and villages at the frontier. The Israeli military said it had carried out 26 waves of strikes overnight in the southern suburbs, saying targets included Hezbollah's command centres and weapons storage facilities. On Thursday, an Israeli military spokesperson told residents of the southern suburbs to move east and north, posting a map showing four large dis…

Israeli operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah: March 24-March 31 The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted numerous activities and operations throughout Lebanon against Hezbollah between March 24 and 30, 2025. On Friday, unknown actors again fired rockets at northern Israel from an area of south Lebanon where Hezbollah is dominant. While the rockets targeted Kiryat Shmona, sounding warning sirens in the area, one was intercepted in midair, and the other fell on Lebanese territory. In response, the IDF launched an extensive series of operations in Lebanon for the second week in a row, including striking a Hezbollah target in the Hadath neighborhood of south Beirut for the first time since the November 27 ceasefire went into effect. Lebanon’s posture on Hezbollah Last week’s continued Israeli operations in Lebanon again highlight the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and Lebanese state’s inaction against Hezbollah. Beirut’s official position is that it is fulfilling its responsibilities under the November 27 ceasefire terms and UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Simultaneously, Lebanese officials insist that disarming armed groups, including Hezbollah, will take more time and suppo…

UNICEF Says Children 'Being Pulled From Under Rubble' in Lebanon After ... Rescue workers continued to search for missing people in the Beirut neighborhood of Tallet al-Khayat on April 8, 2026. The United Nations Children's Fund warned that Israel's continued assault on Lebanon "poses a grave risk to the ceasefire and the efforts toward a lasting and comprehensive peace." AUnited Nationsagency said late Thursday that Israel's massive bombardment ofLebanonearlier this week killed or wounded more than 180children, a statement issued as the Israeli military vowed to continue assailing the war-ravaged country—potentially derailing ceasefire efforts in Iran and across the region. The UN Children's Fund, widely known asUNICEF,saidthe toll from Israel's assault on Wednesday brought the total number of children killed or wounded in Lebanon since March 2 to at least 600. The agency said it is "receiving reports of children being pulled from under the rubble, while others remain missing and separated from their families." "Many are experiencing trauma, having lost loved ones, their homes, and any sense of safety," UNICEF said. "Across the country, more than one million people have been …

Lebanon's sovereignty crisis - Nowlebanon Defense Ministry forces of the new Syrian government shell border towns of Lebanon from al-Qusayr, Syria on March 18, 2023. The clashes between Syria and Lebanon, that have reportedly left 10 people dead and 52 wounded, erupted when three Syrian soldiers were killed in Lebanon. Syrian government claims the three were kidnapped, taken into Lebanon, and killed by Hezbollah, but Hezbollah denies involvement. Syria and Lebanon agreed on a ceasefire after two days of clashes. (Photo by Mohamad Daboul / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) [responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Male" buttontext="Listen to Post"] In the past few days, the Lebanese government has taken steps to reinforce military leadership and deploy troops to its borders; but not as part of a proactive security strategy. Instead, it has once again fallen into the same cycle of reacting to crises rather than preventing them. Whether on the Syrian or Israeli front, the state’s actions have been too little, too late, exposing the emptiness of its claims to sovereignty. A border policy of reaction, not prevention After months of ignoring escalating tensions, Lebanon f…

Israeli army operations stir fears in Syria's Quneitra - Al-Monitor Israeli army operations stir fears in Syria's Quneitra by Maher Al Mounes Sep 22, 2025 Add AL-MONITOR on Google A UN Disengagement Observer Force soldier stands guard at an observation post in the city of Quneitra near the border with the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights in southern Syria — LOUAI BESHARA Rubble and Hebrew graffiti mark Israel's presence in Syria's Quneitra province, where people accuse the southern neighbour's troops of demolitions, detentions and forced displacement -- defying ongoing security talks between the two sides. "Israeli forces entered under cover of darkness and demolished my house, along with 15 others, with a bulldozer," said Mohammed al-Ali. "They turned them into rubble within a few hours," said the 50-year-old from the southern town of Hamidiya. Syria and Israel have technically been at war since 1948, but the state of play between the two countries has shifted dramatically since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December. Israel has deployed troops in a UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights, launched hundreds of air strikes on targets in Syria and…

Patterns of civilian harm, displacement, and institutional targeting by ... Home/AOAV: all our reports This report synthesises casualty, displacement, health sector, and media worker data from October 2023 to June 2026 to provide a comprehensive assessment of Israeli strikes’ human toll in Lebanon. Using primarily Lebanese Ministry of Public Health records alongside UN and humanitarian sources, it identifies five distinct phases of conflict characterised by markedly different levels of violence. The findings indicate that periods officially designated as ceasefires remained associated with significant levels of killing, while major aerial bombardment campaigns corresponded with sharp increases in the proportion of women and children among the dead. The conflict produced repeated waves of mass displacement, including a renewed surge exceeding one million displaced persons in 2026. Evidence further suggests sustained and widespread attacks by Israel on health facilities, emergency medical services and journalists, raising serious concerns under international humanitarian law. At the same time, competing claims regarding the number of Hizballah fighters killed remain inconsistent wi…

Lebanon's Impossible Equation: Occupation, Implosion, and the Erosion ... Any prospect of restoring the Lebanese state’s credibility depends on sustained pressure for a real ceasefire that would halt Israeli attacks, matched by support for the Lebanese army. Israel’s expanded war on Lebanon may prove to be the war from which Lebanon cannot recover. Both its territorial integrity and its power-sharing system are at serious risk, and with them the country’s survival as a unified state. The latest US-brokered ceasefireagreementbetween Lebanon and Israel, signed on June 3, did not survive 24 hours. The agreement required Hezbollah to cease all attacks and withdraw from the south, but did not guarantee Israel’s withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory, further weakening the Lebanese government’s credibility and leverage. Hezbollah and Iran rejected the agreement and, hours later, Israel resumed its bombing and evacuation orders in South Lebanon while HezbollahattackedIsraeli troops. On June 6, Israelkilledthree Lebanese soldiers including an army general, even though the Lebanese army is set to deploy in “pilot zones,” where it would be the only armed group to operate. On June 7, …

Israeli forces destroy 200 metres of Hezbollah underground tunnels as ... Israeli military operations have destroyed two extensive underground passages belonging to Hezbollah that extended 20 metres beneath the surface, including command centres and launch sites positioned to directly target Israeli territory. The demolition followed what the Israeli military described as the destruction of a major underground fortress, representing a significant blow to the militant group’s infrastructure in southern Lebanon. In a village in southern Lebanon that had been established as a forward operational base, Israeli forces discovered substantial quantities of weaponry and ammunition scattered throughout civilian areas. Military personnel reported finding weapons caches in virtually every building and even in agricultural plots across the settlement, indicating the extent of Hezbollah’s militarisation of civilian spaces. However, Israeli commanders have raised concerns about emerging threats from the operation. Military officials warn that militants could potentially emerge from within the rubble and debris to attack Israeli soldiers working in the area. This presents a new operational cha…

Determination and Resolve Are Required in Lebanon Home page/Articles/Determination and Resolve Are Required in Lebanon The War of Redemption (Swords of Iron) quickly expanded into a multi-theater conflict, challenging Israel simultaneously across several fronts. Of the seven primary arenas in which the Israel Defense Forces operated—Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Iran, and the domestic front—the Lebanese arena emerged as the decisive northern theater, defined by sustained confrontation with Hezbollah. Operations in Lebanon evolved through three distinct phases: an initial period of containment and attrition (October 2023–September 2024), a phase of intense combat in the north (September–November 2024), and the current enforcement phase, ongoing since late November 2024. The Lebanese theater is now characterized by escalating tension. Hezbollah is systematically violating the agreement, rebuilding and expanding its military capabilities—particularly its indirect-fire systems—while refusing to disarm and steadily pushing the ceasefire framework toward collapse. This article assesses how Israel has conducted itself on the Lebanese front since the outbreak of the war, traces the…

Lebanon's Reluctant Shield: Hezbollah Between Tehran, Beirut, and the ... Introduction This paper argues that Hezbollah’s decision to join the renewed 2026 war with Israel… Introduction This paper argues that Hezbollah’s decision to join the renewed 2026 war with Israel is neither a simple act of “axis discipline” nor just an automatic extension of its traditional resistance role, but the product of a narrowing strategic corridor shaped by three forces: Iran’s confrontation with Israel and the United States, Hezbollah’s own evolving organizational identity, and a transformed Lebanese political context. This paper shows that Hezbollah entered this round from a weaker, more contested position than in past conflicts, and that the war is likely to accelerate a shift from “Iran’s northern army” to a more battered, localized insurgent actor. This analysis proceeds in four steps. First, it dissects the mix of compulsion, miscalculation, and last‑stand logic that pushed Hezbollah from calibrated support fire into open war. Second, it compares Hezbollah’s current military and political posture to that of two years ago, highlighting how sustained Israeli pressure and internal Lebanese chang…

Israel's extensive destruction of Southern Lebanon Previous Next executive summary Ramiz Dallah/Anadolu via Getty Images The Israeli military has extensively destroyed and damaged civilian structures and agricultural land in southern Lebanon between 1 October 2024 and 26 January 2025. The destruction was carried out by the Israeli military with manually laid explosives and bulldozers both before and after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that took effect on 27 November 2024, while the Israeli military had full control of the relevant areas and without apparent “imperative military necessity” – the standard required under international humanitarian law (IHL) to justify the destruction of civilian or cultural property outside the context of attacks. Amnesty International therefore concluded that these actions violated applicable rules of IHL particularly the prohibition of destruction of the property of an adversary and the prohibition of destruction of cultural property. Any such destruction should be investigated as a war crime where it was carried out intentionally or recklessly. The visual evidence shows that Israeli troops deliberately left a trail of destruction as the…

The secrets Israeli censors are hiding about the Iran war close Cancel email X WhatsApp Facebook link share Share bookmark Save As Iran fired volleys of missiles and drones at Israel over four weeks of fighting, the country’s air defences appear to have largely weathered the barrage. Benjamin Netanyahu’s government claims an interception rate of more than 90 per cent, but several attacks over the past week have resulted in dozens of casualties. It’s raised questions about how much coverage Israel is censoring, and hiding the true scale of the damage. The military censor’s office has been vetting material with national security implications since 1988, and it published new guidelines at the outset of this war, emphasising a ban on publishing details about air defences, and the impact of enemy munitions. Other countries have similar policies in wartime. In Ukraine , reporters are prohibited from covering sensitive military movements such as withdrawals and reinforcements. Several Gulf states have banned citizens or civilians from public disclosures of the impact of Iranian strikes. The Iranian regime exercises strict state control over the country’s media. Israel generally allows in…

Qassem: Framework agreement with 'Israel' a sin, Hezbollah to continue ... Al-Ahed News Hezbollah Media Relations Statement by Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem Regarding the Framework Agreement Between the Lebanese Authorities and the Zionist Enemy: 1. Where is the integrity and responsibility of the Lebanese authorities toward their people and the protection of Lebanon's sovereignty? The American sponsor did not secure a ceasefire for them, and when a ceasefire proposal emerged from the US- Iran talks in Pakistan in April 2026, they rejected it. This led the “Israeli” enemy to commit the crime of "Black Wednesday” martyring and wounding hundreds, terrorizing the population and causing widespread destruction through one hundred airstrikes across Lebanon, beginning with the capital, Beirut. 2. We told the authorities that direct negotiations are nothing but unilateral concessions to “Israel”, because they are meetings designed to enforce submission to the demands of aggression and to “Israeli”-American dictates in their entirety. You entered these negotiations while at odds with more than half of the Lebanese people, and in violation of the Constitution and the la…

Lebanon hit by Israel again despite signing peace deal <p>• Israeli defence minister warns Iran against ‘undermining’ Lebanon agreement<br>• Hezbollah rejects framework pact, says it should be replaced by Islamabad MoU</p> <p>JERUSALEM / WASHINGTON: Israe­­li forces carried out drone and air strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, Lebanon’s state news agency reported, a day after both countries<a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2011097"> signed </a>a US-brokered trilateral framework for peace.</p> <p>According to the <em>National News Agency</em> (NNA), Israeli warplanes hit an unidentified target in Nabatieh al-Fawqa at around 6:30pm (1530 GMT).</p> <p>The Lebanese health ministry said the strike killed at least one person and wounded two more.</p> <p>Earlier in the day, drones carried out four strikes on the town square and the Al-Manzala neighbourhood.</p> <p>The Israeli military claims it targeted suspected Hezbollah members in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon.</p> <p>An Israeli military spokeswoman told AFP that the strike targeted “suspected terrorists who posed a threat to IDF soldiers” in the Nabatieh area.</p> <p><strong>‘Great force’</strong></p> <p>The Israeli def…

Israel announces destruction of Hezbollah underground facility in ... USD 1.7 Baku23 °C Israeli forces have destroyed a large underground facility used by armed groups of the Shiite organization Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, it was announced in a joint statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz,APAreports. It states that the facility was located near the village of Majdal Zun in southern Lebanon. "The tunnel, more than 200 meters long and more than 25 meters deep, contained hundreds of weapons and several launchers designed to strike the territory of the State of Israel and its citizens," the text states. The statement emphasized that "Israel notified the United States and the American representative in Lebanon in advance" of this operation. "IDF fighters and commanders will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon and will continue to destroy terrorist infrastructure, eliminate threats to [Israeli] northern population centers, and protect the security of Israeli citizens," the statement said. Israel announces destruction of Hezbollah underground facility in southern Lebanon Canadian national team qualifies for FIFA World…

Israeli Displacement and Killings of Civilians in Lebanon Rage On Click to expand Image A nurse looks out of the Jabal Amel Hospital at areas struck during an Israeli airstrike in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, June 2, 2026. © 2026 Mohammed Zaatari/AP Photo Israeli killings of civilians and displacement of hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians have continued unabated, despite the declaration of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah on April 17. On June 7 and June 9 , Israel ordered all residents of the southern Lebanese city of Tyre and its surrounding towns and refugee camps to leave their homes. This came a week after Israeli forces ordered more than 34,000 families out of Lebanon’s South and Nabatieh Governorates, and 50,000 families out of Beirut’s southern suburbs. The Israeli military declared on May 27 nearly 14 percent of Lebanon’s territory, the entire area south of the Zahrani river, as a “combat zone”, ordering residents to leave the area. Around one million people remain displaced in Lebanon today. These deliberate acts of displacement may amount to war crimes of forced displacement . Since the escalation of the hostilities on March 2, Israeli attack…

Israeli Officials Signal Stepped-Up Atrocities in Lebanon Click to expand Image Smoke from a building in the center of Beirut, Lebanon, which has been hit by the IDF after an evacuation order, on March 12, 2026. © 2026 Adri Salido/Getty Images (Beirut) – Israeli forces have expanded ground operations in southern Lebanon after indicating an intent to forcibly displace residents, destroy civilian homes and conduct strikes that could target civilians, Human Rights Watch said today. Forcible displacement, wanton destruction and attacks deliberately targeting civilians are war crimes . Countries that continue to provide Israel with arms and military aid risk complicity in the Israeli government’s serious violations in Lebanon . On March 22, Israel’s defense Minister, Israel Katz, issued a statement announcing that he and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have “ordered the acceleration of the demolition of Lebanese houses in the border villages in order to thwart threats to Israeli communities - in accordance with the Beit Hanoun and Rafah models in Gaza.” On March 16, 2026, Katz said that “hundreds of thousands of Shiite residents of southern Lebanon […] will not return to the…

Israeli army chief says Hezbollah in ‘difficult position’ in visit to south Lebanon Israel’s military chief said on Sunday that Hezbollah had suffered a severe blow fighting Israeli forces and was now in a “very difficult position,” as he met with troops in southern Lebanon.He spoke as the United States and Iran held talks in Switzerland after signing a preliminary agreement to end the broader Middle East war, with the conflict in Lebanon threatening to derail the deal.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“Hezbollah has suffered a severe and significant blow, and we are committed to remaining prepared to continue operating and prevent its rebuilding,” Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said, according to a military statement. “Hezbollah is in a very difficult position,” he added. Hezbollah had pulled Lebanon into the Middle East war in early March when the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes.Despite a new ceasefire announcement

Hezbollah KILLS Israeli Troops? IDF Bleeds After Deadly South Lebanon ... Home / Videos Hezbollah has released intense combat footage reportedly showing fierce frontline clashes with Israeli forces in and around the southe Lebanese town of Hadatha. The video, circulating widely online, appears to capture day and night combat scenes involving Hezbollah fighters using rifles, anti-tank weapons, explosive charges, and ambush tactics against advancing Israeli troops and armored vehicles. According to Hezbollah-linked reports, the clashes took place during one of the most intense confrontations in southe Lebanon since the fragile ceasefire period began earlier in 2026. The footage allegedly shows Israeli military engineering vehicles and frontline positions coming under heavy attack during operations near Hadatha, a strategically sensitive area close to the Israel-Lebanon border. Military analysts say the release is part of Hezbollah’s broader media strategy aimed at demonstrating battlefield readiness and resistance capabilities amid continuing tensions on the Israel-Lebanon front. The conflict zone in southe Lebanon remains highly volatile, with repeated exchanges of fire, drone a…

Israel Eliminates Top Hezbollah Commander - The Kenya Times Israeli's past attack on Hezbollah Photo/ IDF The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has eliminated the commander of Hezbollah’s Southern Front in Beirut. Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said theIsraeli Navy struck Beiruton Wednesday, March 31, killing Hajj Yusuf Ismail Hashem, the Southern Front commander. According to Avichay, the Southern Front is the unit in Hezbollah responsible for carrying out terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens and engaging IDF forces in southern Lebanon. “The Defense Army eliminated in Beirut the commander of the Southern Front in the terrorist Hezbollah, the so-called Hajj Yusuf Ismail Hashem,” Avichay said “During his command, Hashem oversaw the launching of rocket projectiles and hostile drones toward Israeli territory and led efforts to rebuild Hezbollah’s capabilities.” Hashem is the most senior Hezbollah commander to have been killed by Israel since hostilities escalated amid the war with Iran. Hashem, a commander with over 40 years of experience, is regarded as one of Hezbollah’s main pillars. He assumed leadership of the Southern Front after the elimination of Ali Kar…

Israeli offensive in Lebanon gives Hezbollah new purpose | CNN A man in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre carries the casket of a Hezbollah fighter killed in an Israeli strike, during his funeral on April 22. Ryan Murphy/Getty Images The Middle East See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! Follow Beqaa Valley, Lebanon — Not too long ago, Hezbollah was proclaimed all but defeated. Israel’s devastating military and clandestine campaigns had left the group close to “demise,” opined regional experts. The fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad removed a key regional ally who helped to funnel weapons and supplies to the group. Israel killed its longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in 2024. Lebanon and Israel engaged in direct US-brokered talks for the first time in decades. The Lebanese government was working to disarm the group entirely. Now, following the US and Israel’s decision to attack Iran, the group appears more emboldened – and relevant – than ever. STREAMING NOW: CNN gets rare access to question a Hezbollah fighter in Lebanon. Upgrade to watch the full report. “What the Israelis have done is completely revitalize Hezbollah’s resistance rationale,” Nichola…

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict | Global Conflict Tracker Back to Map Israeli-Palestinian Conflict By the Center for Preventive Action Updated May 28, 2026 A Palestinian woman carries a prayer mat at the site of an overnight Israeli strike on a tent in Gaza City, on September 8, 2025. Mahmoud Issa/Reuters Soldiers carry the coffin of Israeli soldier Master Sergeant Yona Efraim Feldbau during his funeral at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery, in Jerusalem, on October 29, 2025. Ronen Zvulun/Reuters Palestinians who were displaced by Israel's military offensive on south Gaza make their way as they attempt to return to their homes in north Gaza, as seen from the central Gaza Strip on April 14, 2024. Ramadan Abed/Reuters A person holding an Israeli flag reacts amid dust as a helicopter carrying released hostages, who have been held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, and who were released with others as part of a prisoner-hostage swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, takes off, in Reim, southern Israel, on October 13, 2025. Amir Cohen/Reuters A man greets a freed Palestinian prisoner released by Israel as part of a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire dea…

Syrian security forces arrest members of Hezbollah 'terror cell ... Read this article in: Syrian security forces show drones that were confiscated during a raid on a Hezbollah terror cell (Photo: Syrian Interior Ministry) Security forces arrested members of a terror cell responsible for rocket attacks targeting the Mezzeh district of Damascus last month, the Syrian Interior Ministry announced on Sunday, claiming that the weapons used in the attack originated from the Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah. In a statement released on Telegram, the ministry said that security forces working with the General Intelligence Directorate “carried out a series of operations targeting a terror cell involved in carrying out several attacks on the Mezzeh area and its military airport,” noting that “the cell was completely dismantled and all its members arrested.” The Shiite Muslim Hezbollah, due to its ties to the Islamic Republic of Iran, was a prominent ally of former President Bashar al-Assad, joining the Civil War in Syria on his side in 2013. However, following the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024, most Hezbollah forces left Syria for Lebanon. The new Syrian government is do…

Conflict With Hezbollah in Lebanon - Council on Foreign Relations Back to Map Conflict With Hezbollah in Lebanon By the Center for Preventive Action Updated June 3, 2026 A woman walks on the rubble of a damaged site in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Choueifat amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces in Lebanon on October 6, 2024. TPX Images of the Day via Reuters Demonstrators protest to condemn the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, in Sidon, Lebanon, on July 31, 2024. Alkis Konstantinidis/TPX Images of the Day via Reuters Israeli border police officers attend the scene where a rocket, fired from Lebanon, landed in Israel, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, in Maalot, northern Israel, on October 7, 2024. Avi Ohayon/Reuters Smoke billows amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Tyre, southern Lebanon, on October 7, 2024. Aziz Taher/Reuters A member of the Lebanese army walks past the rubble at the site of the blast in Beirut's port area on August 7, 2020. Mohamed Azakir/Reuters Supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement attend the funeral of one of their members on Octo…

A fragile peace: Assessing the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire one year later ... A man rides a scooter past advertisement signs depicting a Lebanese army soldier saluting the national flag with the Arabic slogan "We are all with you" along the highway leading to Beirut International Airport in southern Beirut on September 5, 2025. The Lebanese government is set on September 5 to discuss an army plan to disarm Hezbollah, which the Iran-backed group opposes, accusing the cabinet of playing into the hands of Israel and the United States. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO / AFP) [responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Male" buttontext="Listen to Post"] The deal promised a pause to hostilities, the reinforcement of the Lebanese Army in the South, and renewed international oversight through UNIFIL. Over the past twelve months, both sides have claimed commitment to the agreement, yet violations have persisted: Israel continues to carry out strikes and maintain positions along the border, while Hezbollah’s military presence and alleged operations south of the Litani remain a central point of dispute. The Lebanese Army has expanded its deployment but still faces major logistical and political challenges, a…

Shared post - Israel Biblical Highway "The 'Israel Biblical Highway' bridges millennia of spiritual history with the modern reality of Israel's Route 60. Adding the new title officially to the existing road winding its way through modern communities and ancient sites is the brainchild of Rabbi Yishai Fleisher. He is working through avenues of both media and law to enhance awareness and connection to this road walked by traders, pilgrims, farmers, and armies for centuries. "This short animated film, featuring original artwork, is a journey on to itself - traversing the heart and telling the stories of the most famous narratives in human history. Indeed, there are many beautiful and historic roads in the world, but there is only one that traverses the heart of the most powerful and influential story in human history. Sweeping from north to south, the ancient Biblical Highway, journeys through the storied and holy cities of Israel's Biblical heartland. "The highway begins in Beer Sheva, the southern capital of the Negev desert, ... https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en/spotlight-on-terrorism-and-the-israeli-palestinian-conflict-june-9-16-2026/ "Itamar Marcus, the founder and di…

US Policy Toward Lebanon in a Time of War - Arab Center Washington DC Following the expansion of its ground operations in South Lebanon in late March 2026, Israel has significantly intensified airstrikes across the country, including on central Beirut and other densely populated areas, killing over 1,700 people since Hezbollah first targeted Israel following the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28. Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon has now displaced over a million civilians and extensively damaged critical infrastructure. The US clearly sees Israel’s operations in Lebanon as distinct from its conflict with Iran. President Trump reportedly said that Lebanon was not included in the two-week conditional ceasefire that began on April 8, 2026, and that Israel’s bombing of Lebanon was part of a “separate skirmish.” His comments coincided with a day in which a massive Israeli aerial attack killed more than 250 people in Lebanon. These developments have contributed to a growing sense that Washington considers Lebanon’s stability and humanitarian situation to be subordinate to wider regional considerations. Israel’s stated objectives in Lebanon go beyond repelling Hezbol…

Lebanon: Loyalty Bloc condemns government's free concessions to Israel ... December 12, 2025 at 9:38 am Security forces, civil defense, and firefighting teams arrive at the scene following an Israeli attack which killed five people and injured 28 violating the ceasefire in Dahieh region of Beirut, Lebanon on November 23, 2025. [Houssam Shbaro – Anadolu Agency] The Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc in Lebanon said on Thursday that the government had made “another slip” by describing its representative as “civilian” in the committee overseeing the mechanism related to the cessation of hostilities. In a statement issued after a regular meeting that discussed several political and parliamentary matters linked to Lebanon, Palestine and the region, the bloc said the authorities had “committed another mistake by naming a ‘civilian’ to take part in the mechanism committee responsible for supervising the cessation of hostilities, in clear contradiction even with previous official positions that tied civilian participation to a full halt of hostilities”. The bloc added that the Lebanese state had made a “free concession” that would not stop the aggression, “because Israel wants to keep Leb…

Renewed Israel's Attacks on Syria and the Regional Fallout https://rasanah-iiis.org/english/?p=14079 Research and Studies Position Papers The Journal Monitoring and Translation Iran In A Week Reports Articles Publications Annual Strategic Reports Monthly Reports Books News Board of Trustees Executive Department Multimedia Infographics Video Partnerships Policy Advice 10:12 am - 17 Dec 2025 By Rasanah Renewed Israel’s attacks on Syria in late 2025 highlight the fragile security landscape emerging from Syria’s post-Assad transition. The Israeli raid on Beit Jinn on November 28, followed by airstrikes that killed 13 Syrian soldiers, marked the deadliest incursion since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster nearly a year earlier. Israel described the operation as a preemptive strike to apprehend members of the Lebanese Jamaa Islamiya militant group (a political-Islamist party with an armed wing aligned with Hamas) in Beit Jinn who were allegedly planning IED and rocket attacks into Israeli territory. Damascus, however, condemned it as a “ criminal attack ,” a blatant violation of Syrian sovereignty and a direct challenge to a political transition that is still struggling to assert its authority. T…

Israel destroys Hezbollah tunnels in Lebanon, informed US before strike https://www.foxnews.com/world/hezbollah-relies-sophisticated-tunnel-system-backed-iran-north-korea-fight-against-israel Israel destroys Hezbollah tunnels in Lebanon, informed US before strike Israel-Hezbollah permanent peace deal Share Add us on Google by Estefano Gomez Jun. 28, 2026 The Israeli military has announced the destruction of Hezbollah’s underground infrastructure in a village in southern Lebanon, reportedly coordinated with the U.S. ahead of the strike. This action is part of the ongoing 2026 Lebanon war, itself a facet of the larger 2026 Iran war, and follows a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon. The strike comes amid rising tensions, with Israel citing self-defense justifications for targeting Hezbollah’s tunnel networks and drone bases near its border. Market participants have reacted to these developments, with the likelihood of a permanent peace deal between Israel and Hezbollah by June 30, 2026, appearing to decrease further. Advertisement Key Takeaways Markets suggest the Israeli strike on Hezbollah’s infrastructure is consistent with decreased chances of a …

Hezbollah Vows "Karbala-Style" Resistance if Disarmament Forces Continue Hezbollah Vows “Karbala-Style” Resistance if Disarmament Forces Continue On Arbaeen, Secretary‑General Sheikh Naim Qassem declares that Hezbollah will never surrender its weapons amid Israeli aggression and accuses Lebanon’s government of abetting foreign agendas. A Thinker Aug 15, 2025 6 3 Share As long as the Israeli enemy's aggression and attacks continue, the resistance will not surrender its weapons, the Hezbollah chief said, adding that the Resistance would fight a Karbala battle if necessary. Beirut, PUREWILAYAH.COM – Speaking to followers on Arbaeen, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem delivered a defiant message: Hezbollah will not disarm as long as Israeli aggression persists , and stands ready to wage a Karbala-style battle if necessary . Invoking the spiritual legacy of Imam Hussein’s martyrdom, Sheikh Qassem cast the Resistance as heirs to Karbala’s legacy of sacrifice and steadfastness, and positioned Hezbollah as a contemporary embodiment of that spiritual struggle. He stressed that followers must choose between aligning with Hussein’s path or siding with oppressive forces, likening …

Israel's War with Iran Reflects its New Regional Strategy - Middle East ... Middle East Centre About Latest Submissions Follow Us Search Amnon Aran March 31st, 2026 Israel’s War with Iran Reflects its New Regional Strategy 0 comments | 6 shares Estimated reading time: 5 minutes Middle East Centre About Latest Submissions Follow Us Search Amnon Aran March 31st, 2026 Israel’s War with Iran Reflects its New Regional Strategy 0 comments | 6 shares Estimated reading time: 5 minutes 6 Shares By Amnon Aran Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Source: US State Department/Ron Przysucha via Flickr . CC0 1.0 Universal. On 28 February 2026, the United States (US) and Israel launched a second war against Iran within less than a year, amid significant setbacks suffered by Iran since Hamas’s deadly attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023. Israeli military strikes in 2024, followed by joint operations with the US during the 12-Day War in June 2025, undermined Iran’s air defences and nuclear programme. In January 2026, the country experienced widespread protests, which were harshly suppressed as the regime conducted a nationwide campaign of mass killings ( Human Rights Watch, 2026 ), further exa…

EXPLAINER: What is Hezbollah, the Lebanese group at war with Israel ... ADVERTISEMENT Filtered By: Topstories News By Reuters Published June 3, 2026 4:55am + Add GMA on Google Make this your preferred source to get more updates from this publisher on Google. Hezbollah members parade during a rally marking al-Quds Day, (Jerusalem Day) in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon April 5, 2024. (REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo) BEIRUT —The war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah has devastated swathes of Lebanon, though a partial de-escalation agreement announced on Monday has averted renewed airstrikes on the capital Beirut for now. Israel seeks to end the threat posed by Hezbollah rocket fire and force the group to disarm but Iran wants an end to the Israeli campaign in Lebanon as part of any settlement with the United States to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. What are Hezbollah's origins? Iran's Revolutionary Guards founded Hezbollah in 1982 during Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war, part of Tehran's effort to export its 1979 Islamic Revolution and fight Israeli forces that had invaded Lebanon in 1982. Hezbollah runs its own social services, including schools and hospitals, and has sol…

"What the UAE's lifting of its Lebanon travel ban says about shifting ... A volunteer organises aid packages to be sent to Lebanon at the Expo City Dubai in Dubai on October 12, 2024. After almost a year of cross-border fire, Israel has increased its strikes on what it says are Lebanese militant group Hezbollah sites since September 23. The escalation has killed more than 1,200 people and displaced around a million from their homes. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP) [responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Male" buttontext="Listen to Post"] The leaders agreed to allow travel for their citizens after implementing the necessary measures to facilitate movement between the two countries and establishing appropriate mechanisms for this purpose. The United Arab Emirates and Lebanon announced that they had held talks to review bilateral relations and explore ways to strengthen cooperation across various sectors. UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed hope that Lebanese President Michel Aoun’s visit would help deepen the “brotherly” ties between the two nations, advancing their shared interests and aspirations for progress and prosperity. He also reaffirmed the UAE’s comm…

Lebanon: 12 children killed, maimed daily, despite Hezbollah-Israel ... FacebookTwitterPrintEmail More than 100 days of war reveals a shattering snapshot of life for civilians in Lebanon amid Israeli strikes and forced displacement, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported on Wednesday. The humanitarian situation in Lebanon remains fragile and needs immense and severe despite the recent US-Iran agreement and subsequent signs of regional de-escalation. Here are some highlights from thelatest flash updatefrom the UN relief agency,OCHA: Since hostilities escalated between Israel and Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon on 2 March,247 children have been killed and 992 injured, an average of 12 children killed or maimed every day, according to the agency. “For more than three months, children in Lebanon have lived through experiences no child should ever endure,”UNICEFcountry representative in Lebanon, Marcoluigi Corsi, said in astatementissued on Wednesday following the 15 June announcement that the United States and Iran had reached agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding. “We hope that this ceasefire will be indeed a real ceasefire because since the declaration of the pre…

Israel issues new Lebanon occupation map, in talks with U.S. over ... Add NBC News to Google Iran’s ballistic missiles not mentioned in agreement, but Trump says they ‘have to have some’ 22:01 Get more news Live on Share Add NBC News to Google June 18, 2026, 9:08 AM EDT / Source : Reuters By Reuters Israel’s military published a map Thursday showing an expanded zone of control for its troops in southern Lebanon as Israeli officials told Reuters Israel was holding talks with the U.S. over continuing its deployment. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. An interim pact signed on Wednesday to end the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran calls for an end to fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and for parties to ensure “the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon.” Israel has rejected calls to withdraw troops from southern Lebanon, which it invaded in March in response to rocket fire by the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia. Israeli attacks and the destruction of villages have killed thousands and set off a displacement crisis. Hezbollah has continued to launch attacks on Israeli positions in the south this week, inclu…

Why Israel Is Attacking Lebanon - The New Yorker Save this story Save this story Save this story Save this story Soon after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, Hezbollah—a paramilitary group and a political party that wields tremendous power in Lebanon, and is an Iranian proxy —struck back, firing missiles at Israel. Israel retaliated with strikes and a “limited” ground invasion of southern Lebanon. Even though the Iranian front of the war has received significantly more attention in the global press, the reality on the ground in Lebanon is staggering: the Israeli attacks have already killed more than a thousand people, and displaced upward of a million, in a country of some five million. The displacement orders affected more than fourteen per cent of the country. And many Lebanese are concerned that Israel intends to eventually redraw the border between the two countries. To better understand this part of the widening Middle East conflict, I recently spoke by phone with Maha Yahya, the director of the Carnegie Endowment’s Middle East Center, who lives in Lebanon and was in Beirut when we talked. During our conversation, which has been edited for length and clarity, we dis…

Drone footage of Gaza City shows destruction of 2-year war ... Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has left large swathes of the Strip in ruins, including parts of Gaza City which was the focus of Israel’s offensive before the ceasefire. Thousands of Gaza City residents who fled their homes to safer areas in central and southern Gaza have returned only to find what they once called homes reduced to rubble. Displaced Palestinians ride donkey carts loaded with belongings past destroyed buildings in Gaza City, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, after Israel and Hamas agreed to a pause in their war and the release of the remaining hostages. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) A displaced Palestinian boy carries a wooden board as he walks along the heavily damaged Al-Jalaa Street in Gaza City, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, after Israel and Hamas agreed to pause their war and release the remaining hostages. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) A Palestinian boy stands amid destroyed buildings in Gaza City, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, after Israel and Hamas agreed to a pause in their war and the release of the remaining hostages. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) Displaced Palestinians walk through an area surrounded by destro…

Echoes of War: First Israeli Strike on Beirut Since ... - The Media Line Heavy smoke billows from areas that were bombed by Israeli forces in Beirut's southern suburb on March 28, 2025. (Marwan Naamani/picture alliance via Getty Images) Echoes of War: First Israeli Strike on Beirut Since Ceasefire Rekindles Old Fears Taylor Thomas 03/29/2025 As Israel vowed to respond to any strike on northern communities, Beirut residents scrambled to evacuate, reviving memories of last year’s devastation [Beirut] Although the ceasefire declared between Israel and Lebanon in November 2024 is technically ongoing, actions on the ground in southern Beirut and northern Israel seem to indicate a return to war. On Friday morning, two rockets were launched from Lebanese territory toward northern Israel, one of which failed to cross the border. Israel responded with artillery fire against various towns in southern Lebanon. Just one day earlier, Israeli attacks killed six people. “There will be no peace in Beirut” if attacks continue on northern Israel, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on Friday. Hours later, the Lebanese capital was once again the scene of bombing. Avichay Adraee, the Israeli military…

Dahiyeh: the Beirut Suburb at the Heart of a Deadly Israeli Military ... Israel X Facebook Bluesky Email Share By John Nagle , Queen’s University Belfast and Edouardo Wassim Aboultaif , Université Saint-Esprit de Kaslik (USEK) (The Conversation) – Over the ten days of the renewed conflict in the Middle East, Beirut’s southern district of Dahiyeh has been targeted by Israel, which is looking to deal a knockout blow to Hezbollah. It’s not the first time the area has been bombarded. Dahiyeh was bombed by Israel during its 2006 war with Hezbollah, again in 2014 and yet again in 2024 and 2025. Now the Israel Defense Forces is bombing the area again . The attacks mark the return of a strategy first developed by the Israeli armed forces in Dahiyeh before becoming a military doctrine , bearing the name of the suburb. The Dahiyeh doctrine is a military strategy that calls for using overwhelming and disproportionate force against civilian infrastructure in areas controlled by hostile armed groups in order to deter attacks on Israel. It has repeatedly put into practice in Gaza. Now the Dahiyeh doctrine is once again being enacted in the place where it was first conceived. Dahiyeh is a Hezbol…

Lebanon accuses Israel of war crime in killing of journalist Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon that killed a journalist on Wednesday were a war crime, Lebanon's prime minister said. A journalists' union said rescuers were prevented from accessing the destroyed building where the reporter was left trapped beneath rubble. Amal Khalil, 43, a journalist with the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, bled to death in the ruins of a building that was hit in an Israeli drone strike after Israeli forces' gunfire prevented ambulance crews from reaching her "for nearly four hours," according to Lebanon's Union of Journalists . Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Israel of war crimes in a social media post Wednesday, saying Israel's "targeting of media workers in the south while they carry out their professional duties is no longer isolated incidents, but … an established approach that we condemn and reject." Amal Khalil, a veteran correspondent for the daily newspaper Al-Akhbar, is seen in the southern Lebanese border village of Jebbayn in 2024. AFP via Getty Images Photojournalist Zeinab Faraj was also wounded in the attack, the union said. The Israel Defense Forces denied that troops ha…

What to know about the war between Israel and Hezbollah | AP News Israeli strikes on Wednesday without warning killed at least 203 people and wounded more than 1,000, Lebanon’s health ministry said. Israel’s military said it targeted Hezbollah sites, but several strikes hit densely packed commercial and residential areas during rush hour, leading to widespread civilian casualties. (Produced by Luke Garratt) Smoke rises following several Israeli airstrikes in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) Israeli military mobile artillery unit fires towards southern Lebanon from northern Israel, Thursday, April 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Rescuers gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike in central Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) A first responder emerges through the smoke at the site of an Israeli airstrike that struck an apartment building in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein) A woman carries a flag of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group during a ceremony marking the 40th day since the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, April 9, 2026.…

Annahar documents the scale of damage in the frontline border villages ... Israel’s destruction of southern Lebanese villages, mass uprooting of ancient trees, and continued attacks after the ceasefire reflect a deliberate strategy to depopulate the region and prevent its communities from returning. “Israel uprooted olive and oak trees that were hundreds of years old and transported them across the border,” says mayor of Yaroun, Ali Tohfa, capturing the harsh reality now imposed on the border villages.This is the first time Israel has uprooted hundreds of olive trees and transferred them into Palestine, inflicting a painful loss and a devastating blow to the residents of the stricken villages and towns. In southern Lebanon, the Israeli war has left behind more than rubble: villages leveled to the ground, homes reduced to ruins, trees torn from their roots, and a cultural heritage erased. Israel’s intention has been clear since the first day of the war, from October 8, 2024, until November 27, 2025: preventing life from returning to certain southern villages. The mayor of Ayta ash-Shaab, Mohammad Srour, confirms to Annahar: “After the ceasefire was announced, Israel encircled th…

As Lebanon braces for expanded Israeli incursion, northern Israel ... Shrapnel from Hezbollah missiles in the entrance to Kibbutz Kfar Giladi, 800 meters from the border with Lebanon on Sunday. Tal Shalev/CNN The Middle East See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! Follow Metula, Northern Israel — From the border communities of northern Israel, the rooftops of Lebanese villages are visible in an area the Israeli government now holds as a “security buffer zone.” And for more than 60,000 Israelis living in the frontier towns, the war with Hezbollah is not a distant reality. When air raid sirens sound here from Hezbollah’s rockets, there is no gap between warning and impact. Unlike in the rest of Israel, residents have only seconds to run for cover. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced another expansion of the military buffer zone inside Lebanon to “finally thwart the threat of invasion and to push the anti-missile threat away from our border.” The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has claimed that Hezbollah was planning a ground offensive into Israel akin to Hamas’ October 7 attacks in 2023. The announcement was welcomed on the Israeli side o…

Lebanon and Hezbollah in the wake of empire - Tempest Collective Joseph Daher analyzes the expansion of the U.S.-Israel war into Lebanon, its impact on that country and on Iran’s ally Hezbollah. Lebanon and the war on Iran The US-Israel war on Iran has already destabilized the wider region. The impacts are being strongly felt in Lebanon, now being subject to a new offensive by Israel. Neither in Iran nor in Lebanon, nor anywhere else, are the United States and its Israeli ally seeking democracy or the well-being of local populations. Rather, they seek to impose, through barbaric violence, a new regional order dominated by Washington and Tel Aviv. This latest Israeli war is part of a long history of aggression against Lebanon, but it is also part of a political context marked by a desire for regional hegemony by Washington and Tel Aviv. In response to the assassination of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by Israel and the U.S., Hezbollah’s military fired missiles and drones at an Israeli missile defense site, south of the city of Haifa. Following these events, the Israeli occupation army (IOA) is now expanding its war and occupation in Lebanon and  targeting Hezbollah,…

Country bulletin: security situation, Lebanon, May 2026 - GOV.UK © Crown copyright 2026 This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visitnationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email:psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk. Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lebanon-country-policy-and-information-notes/country-bulletin-security-situation-lebanon-may-2026 Reference number: LBN-001-05-26 May 2026 Summary of bulletin: Impact of the conflict inside Lebanon on civilians (2 March 2026 to 17 April 2026) On 2 March 2026, Hezbollah launched missiles and drones at northern Israel in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes on Tehran 2 days prior that killed Iran’s supreme leader. Israel construed the attack, which came after more than a year of Israeli strikes on Hezbollah despite a ceasefire ending their last war in November 2024, …

Amid ceasefire, Israeli forces ramp up destruction of homes in southern ... Add NBC News to Google Video shows Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon 00:43 Get more news Live on Share Add NBC News to Google May 13, 2026, 9:39 AM EDT / Updated May 13, 2026, 6:33 PM EDT By Chantal Da Silva , Zoya Awky , Marin Scott , Colin Sheeley and Larissa Gao The Israeli military has leveled whole areas of towns and villages in southern Lebanon as it presses on with plans to establish control in the area during a Trump-declared ceasefire , satellite imagery, video and photos show. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. Social media video and photos geolocated to locations in the region show trees coated with ash, blazes raging in fire-blackened buildings and skies filled with dark smoke. Satellite images show whole blocks and neighborhoods flattened. The truce, which came into effect April 16, was “only a ceasefire in name,” said Bilal Saab, an associate fellow at the international think tank Chatham House who was a senior adviser at the Pentagon during the first Trump administration. Israel appeared to be using the terms of the truce to…

How to Prevent a Repeat of the Gaza Narrative in Lebanon As seen with Hamas during the Gaza war, media outlets and international officials are spreading untruths about Israel’s latest campaign against Hezbollah; thankfully, the playbook for countering them is clear this time. Most Americans are understandably focused on the US war in Iran, but those with enough bandwidth to follow news of Israel’s operation in Lebanon will sense something eerily familiar. That’s because the Lebanon story increasingly resembles the distorted narrative that characterized Israel’s Gaza operation in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. Here are three ways in which Lebanon sounds like a repeat of the Gaza war: Add these factors together and it is no surprise that one hears ominous warnings about Gaza-level violence coming to Lebanon. Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez, Europe’s leading critic of both the US and Israeli military operations in the Middle East, recently accused Israel of seeking “to inflictthe same level ⁠of damage and destruction” on Lebanon as it did in Gaza. Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan went one step further, warning about fears of a coming “Lebanon genocide.” Ev…

After Assad, Hezbollah's Empire in Syria Shrinks to Cells, Smugglers ... Fighters loyal to the Syrian government deploy at a position along the Anti-Lebanon mountain range near al-Qusayr in the west of Syria's Homs province on Feb. 10, 2025. (BAKR ALKASEM/AFP via Getty Images) After Assad, Hezbollah’s Empire in Syria Shrinks to Cells, Smugglers, and Cheap Rockets Ahmad Al Kwaider and Waseem Abu Mahadi 02/25/2026 Syrian and Lebanese crackdowns on crossings, tunnels, and financing squeeze Hezbollah’s ability to move weapons and personnel across the region [DAMASCUS] For years, Hezbollah moved through Syria like a second army: thousands of fighters, open supply lines, and bases visible on satellite imagery. The group helped keep Bashar Assad in power and made no effort to hide it. Now Syrian authorities say what Hezbollah left behind looks different: a small group operating near Damascus with drones, Katyusha rockets, and, according to officials, confessions that the weapons came from Lebanon. On February 1, Syria’s new government announced it had dismantled a cell it accused of launching rockets at the Mezzeh district and the nearby military airport. Hezbollah’s media relations offi…

How Israel's 'buffer zone' plan could redraw the map of southern Lebanon Najia Houssari BEIRUT: Lebanon faces what officials described as “one of the most dangerous moments in recent memory” after Hezbollah launched attacks on Israeli forces from areas both south and north of the Litani River, triggering a renewed Israeli air and ground campaign. Announcing its ground incursion into southern Lebanon, Israel said it aims to establish what it called a permanent “security zone” along the border. The exact depth of the proposed zone remains unclear, but its humanitarian cost is already emerging. More than 80 towns and villages have been emptied following successive evacuation orders, forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee north of the Litani River. Orders to vacate have also reached Beirut’s southern suburbs, where residents have been told to leave their homes and not expect to return until Israel decides the time is right. The evacuation net has spread wide, reaching villages deep in the south and others pressing against the western Bekaa. Israeli reports estimate the number of Lebanese who will be forced from their homes at around 350,000 — on top of the roughly 85,000…

The Hezbollah Front of the Iran War and Potential Israel-Lebanon talks Download as PDF Earlier this month, Hezbollah joined the Iran war in solidarity with the Iranian regime – its chief benefactor. The group renewed strikes against Israel, which derailed negotiations between the new Lebanese leadership and Israeli government. Israel responded by launching major new operations in Lebanon. The ongoing war has already resulted in more than 1,000 deaths in Lebanon and residents of northern Israel are back in the bomb shelters. As Israel appears poised to launch a full-scale ground invasion of Lebanon, and its Defense Ministervowsto flatten Lebanese border villages per the “Gaza model,” this issue brief lays out the current situation and outlines why an Israeli military invasion would harm all of the key actors in the region and squander the historic diplomatic opening between Beirut and Jerusalem. On the day after the October 7 Hamas massacre in southern Israel, Hezbollah joined the ensuing war “in solidarity” with Hamas. The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah lasted until a ceasefire took effect on November 27, 2024. During these 13 months, Israel launched its sixth invasion of…

Lebanon's rulers have surrendered the country to Israel - this is no ... The US -brokered trilateral statement , issued by the US State Department on Wednesday following the latest high-level meeting between Lebanese and Israeli representatives, belongs to a category of political submission so extreme that it is difficult to locate a precedent in the history of modern statecraft. Lebanon, a state under attack, co-signs a document that conditions a ceasefire not on the withdrawal of the occupying power from its territory, but on the withdrawal of its own citizens from their land. The ceasefire agreement is not made conditional on Israel ending its aggression, withdrawing from occupied Lebanese territory, releasing prisoners, or enabling the return of the displaced, but on Hezbollah ceasing fire and withdrawing from the south. Israel is not even named in relation to the ceasefire’s obligations. What is presented as a cessation of hostilities is, therefore, structured not as the withdrawal of Israel from Lebanon, but as the removal of Lebanese citizens from their land. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongsid…

'Get Iran out of Lebanon': Israel says operations against Hezbollah ... Breaking news, top headlines, in-depth analysis, & exclusive stories By Vishu Adhana New Delhi (India), July 1 (ANI) Israel will continue military operations against Hezbollah despite the existing ceasefire framework with Lebanon, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel on Wednsday said, arguing that the Iran-backed armed group continues to pose a direct security threat and that lasting stability in Lebanon is impossible unless Hezbollah is disarmed. In a virtual interview with ANI, Haskel said Israel’s military operations would continue as long as Hezbollah continued to attack Israeli territory, asserting that both Israel and Lebanon shared an interest in dismantling the group’s military capabilities. “If Hezbollah continues to attack Israel, we will continue to defend our people, our communities and our forces," she said. “There is nothing more that we want to see than this Iranian terrorist army out of Lebanon… and there is nothing more that the Lebanese government wants to see than this terrorist organisation gone and disarmed." Describing Hezbollah as an extension of Iran’s influence, Haskel …

Lebanon-Israel deal requires Hezbollah's disarmament | AP News Residents in Lebanon and Israel react to framework agreement with U.S. Israeli and Lebanese flags hang in a memorial site on the border with Lebanon in northern Israel, Saturday, June 27, 2026 after Israel and Lebanon sign a framework agreement, described as a first step toward peace following months of conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Israeli military APCs parked in northern Israel, near the border with Lebanon, Saturday, June 27, 2026 after Israel and Lebanon sign a framework agreement, described as a first step toward peace following months of conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) An Israeli flag on a destroyed building in southern Lebanon, as seen from northern Israel, Saturday, June 27, 2026 after Israel and Lebanon sign a framework agreement, described as a first step toward peace following months of conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Paintings on a security wall on the border with Lebanon in northern Israel, Saturday, June 27, 2026 after Isr…

Unquiet Lebanon <p>THE fate of Lebanon could determine whether the recently signed MoU between the US and Iran survives.</p> <p>True to form, Israel is doing all possible to ensure the nascent peace deal is destroyed before the proverbial ink dries, as it continues to <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2009582/at-least-20-killed-as-israel-continues-attacks-in-lebanon">mercilessly pound Lebanon</a>. While a supposed ceasefire was announced on Friday, Israeli attacks in Lebanon continued yesterday, with a large number of casualties reported, as the Zionist state hit both the southern and eastern parts of the Arab state in apparent pursuit of its arch-foe Hezbollah.</p> <p>Tragically, a large number of non-combatants have also been killed in Tel Aviv’s murderous forays, with even steadfast supporters like US President Donald Trump expressing displeasure over its bloodstained tactics.</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-1/2 media--right media--embed media--uneven' data-original-src='https://www.dawn.com/news/2008479'> <div class='media__item media__item--newskitlink '> <iframe class="nk-iframe" width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="he…

Changing the Israel-Lebanon Status Quo: U.S. Options From exploring land border talks to boosting Israel’s arsenal and recasting UNIFIL, Washington should do more to slow what may be an inevitable slide toward war on this front. Nearly six months into the Gaza war, Israel has come to the realization that the pre-October 7 status quo in south Lebanon is no longer tenable. Whether a new status quo is established through negotiation or force of arms, something will have to give—the question is when and under what circumstances. Either way, the United States can and should take more steps to defer escalation. Israel’s northern frontier has remained in a state ofmedium-intensity conflictsince Hamas attacked the southern frontier lastOctober. The twenty-eight border communities evacuated months ago are still empty, with around 80,000 Israelis barred from returning home amid daily exchanges of fire and persistent fears of a Hamas-style invasion and cross-border kidnapping spree. A similar number of southern Lebanese residents remain evacuated as well. The bulk of the fighting has been contained to the frontier region, with both sides targeting combatants for the most part. Hezbollah i…

At Beaufort, Israel confronts the futility of withdrawal - analysis Home Israel At Beaufort, Israel confronts the futility of withdrawal - analysis Israel 5 min. Read At Beaufort, Israel confronts the futility of withdrawal – analysis The Editorial Team May 31, 2026 Facebook X Pinterest WhatsApp For most Israelis born in the last four decades, Beaufort conjures up not the bloody battle for the castle during the opening days of the 1982 First Lebanon War, but rather the 2007 movie of the same name. They remember the film more than the fortress itself. And through Joseph Cedar’s lens, Beaufort became synonymous with futility. The movie tells the story of soldiers manning the outpost in the final days before Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000. Through that prism, Beaufort became the symbol of the final, weary chapter of Israel’s long stay in Lebanon. The sight of the Israeli flag and the Golani Brigade flag once again fluttering atop the castle conjures up futility as well — but of a different kind. Not the futility of remaining in Lebanon, but the futility of believing that withdrawal would bring peace. IDF shares footage of operation in Beaufort Ridge, May 31, 2026. (credit: …

Lebanon: What will it take to disarm Hezbollah? - Middle East Eye Amid pressure from the US , the government of Lebanon has increased its efforts to disarm Hezbollah , the Shia political party and militant group. Often described as a “state within the state”, Hezbollah is formally distinct from the Lebanese government. It has had an armed presence within the country since emerging as a resistance movement to the Israeli invasion of 1982. Tension between Hezbollah and Israel increased after 8 October 2023, although confrontations between the two armies have occurred for decades. The most serious escalation came in September 2024, when Israel mounted an extensive bombing campaign over Lebanon, which was preceded by the booby-trapping of thousands of pagers and mobile phones. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Since then, Israel has routinely violated the terms of a ceasefire agreement negotiated on 27 November 2024 with ongoing air strikes and the continual occupation of five locations in Lebanon. Against this backdrop, Middle East Eye explains the US-led effo…

What to know about Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed group on ... - CNN Hezbollah members take part in a military exercise during a media tour in Aaramta, Lebanon on May 21, 2023. Aziz Taher/Reuters The Middle East Israel-Hamas war Terrorism See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! Follow Hezbollah is an Iran-backed Islamist movement with one of the most powerful paramilitary forces in the Middle East. The group, which has its main base on the Israel-Lebanon border, could become a wildcard player in the Hamas-Israel war , and spark a wider regional conflict. The conflict that started with Hamas’ deadly attacks on Israel – which Israeli officials say killed 1,400 people – has already had broad ramifications in the Middle East, and triggered diplomatic rifts and protests around the world. Following the attacks on October 7, Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed more than 5,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities. The fallout is palpable on the Lebanon-Israel border , where Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in low-rumbling tit-for-tat skirmishes since the war began, putting the entire region on a knife’s edge. Here’s what else to know about H…

Israeli troops clash with armed men in Southern Syria, Multiple gunmen ... Eliana Fleming MAR 25, 2025 20:13 2 min read Start the conversation The skirmish took place near the Israeli-Syrian border, specifically close to the village of Kuwaya in Syria ’s Daraa Governorate. The incident occurred when a group of at least seven gunmen opened fire on Israeli troops positioned in the region. In response, the IDF returned fire, deploying tank shells and conducting a drone strike against the attackers. Local Syrian officials confirmed that at least five gunmen were killed during the exchange. However, the IDF confirmed there were no casualties among Israeli troops, with the military attributing this to divine protection, stating “B’chasdei Hashem” (by the grace of God). The identity and affiliations of the attackers remain unknown, and the IDF is continuing its investigation to determine whether the gunmen were affiliated with any known groups. The region has seen increased tension in recent years, particularly following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, leading to a heightened Israel i military presence within the buffer zone along the Israel-Syria border. In additi…

Israeli launches strikes near historic castle in southern Lebanon | AP News Israel’s air force and artillery struck southern Lebanon Saturday as fighting raged in villages close to the city of Nabatiyeh. The airstrikes came as Israel’s military issued evacuation warnings for more than a dozen villages in southern Lebanon, a day after Lebanese and Israeli military officials held their first direct talks in decades at the Pentagon. (AP video shot by Ali Ibrik and Beirutsat. AP production by Ali Sharafeddine) ADLOUN, Lebanon (AP) — Israeli air force and artillery strikes were reported on Saturday near the strategic mountain site of a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon as fighting raged in villages close to the city of Nabatiyeh. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported airstrikes and artillery shelling near the Crusader-built Beaufort castle that is about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the Israeli border and overlooks wide parts of southern Lebanon. The strategic castle was held by Israeli troops for 18 years until they withdrew from Lebanon in May 2000. Separately, an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip killed a nurse, the latest death since last year’s shaky ceasef…

‘What ceasefire?’ In northern Israel, locals doubt an ... A picture taken during an organised tour by the Israeli army shows soldiers in front of a house hit by Hezbollah rockets in the deserted northern Israeli town of Metula on November 4, 2024. Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images The Middle East See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! Follow Metula, Israel — In Israel’s northern-most town , Daniel Dorfman knows his pizza shop will be mostly empty all day, just like it has been for weeks. A few customers dine at two tables in the corner. The rest of the restaurant, much like the town it’s in, is deserted. Perched on a finger of land that pokes into Lebanon, Metula is usually crowded with tourists this time of year. Built more than 130 years ago, the town was once called “Europe” for the hotels and restaurants that lined its main street, HaRishonim Street, named for the pioneers who founded the community. The announcement of a new US-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday – the latest in a string of such proclamations dating back to November 2024 – was met with skepticism and sarcasm in the town. “What ceasefire?” said Dorfman. “Until yesterday there wasn’t a s…

Escalating Israeli military activity in Lebanon Still from footage posted on 7 March 2026 showing damage to the town of Nabi Chit in the Beqaa Valley, eastern Lebanon. Source:X Share Article Since 2 March 2026, hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have intensified significantly across Lebanon, marked by sustained Israeli airstrikes, expanding ground activity, and civilian displacement. Using open-source investigative methods, CIR verified 99 Israeli airstrikes and their aftermath across Lebanon between 2 and 9 March, including 41 incidents in Beirut. This indicates Israeli operations are extending beyond southern border areas into densely populated urban environments. According to theLebanese Ministry of Health, as of 9 March 2026, the escalation has resulted in 486 deaths and 1,313 injuries, with total casualties increasing by 105.9% between 5 and 8 March. The Lebanon Disaster Risk Management authorities reported via their officialWhatsApp channel538 active collective shelters housing approximately 119,700 internally displaced persons (IDPs), while 667,831 individuals have self-registered as displaced, reflecting the scale of population movement triggered by evacuation ord…

Lebanese army boosts its presence along border with Israel, dismantling ... The Lebanese army has intensified its efforts in areas along the border with Israel , in the volatile area that witnessed the 14-month war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group. Parts of the zone south of the Litani River and north of the border with Israel were formerly a Hezbollah stronghold, off limits to the Lebanese national army and U.N. peacekeepers deployed in the area. But since a ceasefire ended the Israel-Hezbollah war a year ago, Lebanon's army has boosted its presence along the border to nearly 10,000 troops, closed 11 crossing points used for smuggling along the Litani River, and is dealing with huge amounts of unexploded ordnance, according to several senior army officers. The army took dozens of journalists from local and and international media outlets Friday on a tour of the rugged area along the border. Its troops could be seen in places where Hezbollah once had a heavy military presence. Israel has carried out almost daily airstrikes since the November 2024 ceasefire, mainly targeting Hezbollah members but 127 civilians have also been killed, according to the office of the U.N…

Lebanon War 2026: Israeli Airstrikes Hit Beirut and Bekaa as Hezbollah ... Share Facebook X LinkedIn Tumblr Pinterest Reddit VKontakte Odnoklassniki Pocket Skype Messenger Messenger WhatsApp Telegram Viber Line Share via Email Print Israeli airstrikes intensify in Lebanon escalation | تصاعد الغارات الإسرائيلية في الحرب في لبنان 2026 The Lebanon war 2026 is witnessing a rapid military escalation as Israeli airstrikes expand across Lebanese territory and clashes intensify with Hezbollah, marking one of the most dangerous rounds of fighting in the region in years. The escalation comes amid growing international concerns that the conflict could evolve into a wider regional confrontation involving multiple actors in the Middle East. According to a report published by Reuters , Israel has launched successive waves of airstrikes targeting Beirut’s southern suburbs as well as large parts of southern and eastern Lebanon, in what it says is a campaign against Hezbollah-linked sites. The strikes have reportedly left hundreds dead or wounded and forced hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes within just a few days. The escalation follows days of cross-border exchanges involving…

IDF: Top Hezbollah commanders eliminated in past two weeks The Israel Defense Forces announced on Thursday that several senior Hezbollah field commanders were eliminated in IDF strikes carried out over the past two weeks in Southern Lebanon, as Israel continues operations aimed at preventing the Iranian-backed terrorist organization from rebuilding its military infrastructure near the border. According to the Israeli military, the targeted terrorist leaders, who were not named, had been responsible for managing Hezbollah combat operations and directing attacks against Israeli troops and civilians. Among those killed was the commander of Hezbollah’s Al-Khiam command center, who was eliminated in a strike on the facility. The military also announced the deaths of the assistant to the deputy commander of Hezbollah’s Badr Unit, the intelligence officer of the Shaqif sector, the head and deputy head of engineering in the Yohmor sector, the commander of the Jibchit sector and the head of engineering in the Jouaiyya sector. The IDF said the strikes were based on intelligence research and formed part of ongoing efforts to dismantle Hezbollah’s operational capabilities in Southern Leban…

Israel's Strike Came After Qatar Hugely Expanded Its Military - Forbes Editors' Pick Business Aerospace & Defense Israel’s Strike Came After Qatar Hugely Expanded Its Military By Paul Iddon , Senior Contributor. Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Paul Iddon is a freelance journalist focused on Middle East affairs. Follow Author Sep 10, 2025, 10:07am EDT Sep 11, 2025, 07:23am EDT Qatari air force escorts the plane transporting US President Donald Trump as it prepares to land in Doha from Saudi Arabia on May 14, 2025. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images Israel’s unprecedented airstrike against Hamas’s political leadership in Doha on Tuesday marked the second time, the first being an Iranian missile attack in late June, that Qatar’s territory has come under fire by a regional power in under three months. This Israeli strike also follows a decade of Doha building up its armed forces with huge acquisitions of advanced fighter jets, air defenses, and other weaponry to deter and defend against such attacks. The Israeli military released a statement that it executed a “precise strike” using “precise munitions” against …

After massive Israeli attacks, how is Hezbollah still fighting? Iran war After massive Israeli attacks, how is Hezbollah still fighting? | Scott Peterson/Getty Images/The Christian Science Monitor Members and supporters of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia mourn and bury three fighters killed by Israel in recent clashes, in Hallousiyyeh, Lebanon, April 25, 2026. The fighting in Lebanon erupted anew in early March following the U.S.-Israel attack on Iran. Loading... By Scott Peterson Staff writer @peterson__scott May 07, 2026, 5:28 p.m. ET | Beirut Each day, the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia uses social media channels to trumpet its steady stream of attacks against Israeli military forces now occupying southern Lebanon, and beyond, into northern Israel. The Hezbollah posts, some accompanied by drone’s-eye videos of its attacks, list precise timings and locations of the strikes, one after another, using a “swarm of loitering drones” or rocket salvos. Their targets include new Israeli artillery positions, military bulldozers, and armored vehicles, or even clusters of Israeli soldiers that require medical evacuation by helicopter, which are then also attacked. Why We Wrote This Since …

'A small, arrogant, violent, wicked nation': Israel's permanent war on ... Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s genocidal assault on the people of Gaza has exposed the brutality at the heart of Israeli society. Millions of people around the world are beginning to see the so-called “Israel-Palestine conflict” for what it is: a repressive colonial occupation of one people by another, punctuated by a series of brutal massacres. This has been going on for nearly a century, and every atrocity has been backed to the hilt by the US and Australia. For those coming to grips with the issue for the first time, understanding Israel as a colonial settler state intent on expansion through ethnic cleansing is a good place to start. But truly to understand the nature of Israel, a regional perspective is needed. While the Palestinians have been the main victims, there is hardly a country in the Middle East left unscarred by Israel’s imperial aggression. It is not an exaggeration to say that the entire history of the Zionist project is one of perpetual warfare against the people of the region, involving Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and more. Or, in the words of Jewish-Israeli journalist…

The Illegality of Israel's Military Campaign in Lebanon This article is part of theCollection: Iran, Israel and the United States at War (2025-2026 Operations). Israel and the United States began major military operations against Iran on Feb. 28. In response, Hezbollah began launching drones, rockets, and missiles into Israel onMarch 2. Israel responded in turn with a large-scale air and ground campaign into Lebanon that haskilledhundreds of people, including dozens of children, several medics, and at leastone priest, while displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians from their homes. The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policysaysthat “Israel has the right to self-defence in line with international law” but that “Israel’s response has been heavy-handed,” causing “mass displacement,” and risking “severe humanitarian consequences.” She concludes that “Israel should cease its operations in Lebanon.” This statement suggests that Israel’s response exceeds the limits of proportionality internal to the right of self-defense because of the cumulative harm it is inflicting on civilians (seehere). This article argues that Israel’s response exceeds t…

Ben-Gvir: US-brokered Lebanon truce clears path for new Oct. 7 massacre Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir warned on Sunday that the renewed ceasefire with Hezbollah allows the Iranian-backed terror group "to rebuild and grow stronger in preparation for another October 7," referring to the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. "My red line is when our soldiers are being killed and our civilians are under attack—this cannot continue," Ben-Gvir said in an interview withArmy Radioradio on Sunday morning. Four Israel Defense Forces soldierswere killedin Southern Lebanon overnight Thursday when a Hezbollah drone struck their tank. Israeli forces struck more than 80 terrorist targets and killed dozens of Hezbollah operatives following the attack. Jerusalem and Beirut renewed the fragile ceasefire later on Friday following U.S. mediation efforts. Ben-Gvir, who leads the Otzma Yehudit Party, said that while he "loves" U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should tell the American president the Israel Defense Forces "cannot cease fire in Lebanon." "Mr. President, you are not the one who goes to theshivaand speaks with t…

What Is Israel's Plan in Lebanon? - Carnegie Endowment for ... Source: Getty At heart, to impose unconditional surrender on Hezbollah and uproot the party among its coreligionists. Israel is repeating parts of the military playbook it used against Hezbollah in 2024, but its strategy is different this time. It was evident, even before Hezbollahfired a handful of rocketstoward Haifa in northern Israel in the early hours of March 1, that the Israeli political leadership and military command had been looking for a reason to resume the war ever since the lopsided ceasefire agreement of November 2024. This begs the question: What does Israel now seek to achieve—and how? One thing is certain: Israel’s goals in Lebanon cannot be measured today against what it sought in 2024. At the time, it remained constrained by Iranian strategic deterrence—not so much due to the effectiveness of the latter, but because the opposition of the Biden administration to all-out war between Israel and Iran acted as a crucial restraining factor. The context is drastically different this time around, thanks to the full-throated engagement of the administration of President Donald Trump in a war to destroy Ir…

Israel-Hezbollah fire escalates, Israeli troops push into south Lebanon ... Israel strikes Lebanese coastal city of Sidon The Israeli military said on Tuesday soldiers were “operating in southern Lebanon’ as it continues strikes against Hezbollah. Israeli airstrikes continued to hit the Lebanese capital Tuesday morning. In footage captured by The Associated Press, explosions and smoke plumes were seen rising over the city’s skyline. A commercial airplane was seen taking off amid smoke and explosions after Israeli airstrikes hit the Lebanese capital Tuesday morning. (AP video: Hussein Al-Sanea) The Israeli military struck a building housing Al-Manar channel studios in Beirut’s southern suburbs following an evacuation warning, the channel said. (AP Video: Zakaria al-Khatib) Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) A firefighter extinguishes a burned shop at a building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebano…

Israel-Lebanon Deal Sparks Protests, Raises Fears of Lasting Occupation Like Follow Followed Add us on By Haley Fuller Published Jul 1, 2026, 5:01 AM EDT Sign in to your Military.com account Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others watch, as seated from left, Israel's Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter, counselor Dan Holler, and Lebanon's Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh, sign a framework agreement, described as a first step toward peace following months of conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, at the State Department, Friday, June 26, 2026, in Washington. Credit: AP Photo/Kevin Wolf A U.S.-brokered agreement between Israel and Lebanon is being presented as a step toward ending months of war. It may also leave the hardest facts unresolved: Israeli forces remain on Lebanese territory, many in Lebanon have been killed or displaced, and Lebanon is being asked to disarm Hezbollah before Israel fully withdraws. The current conflict began on March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets and drones into northern Israel after U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Hezbollah said the attack was retaliation for t…

Israel is using the 'Gaza doctrine' in Lebanon and Iran Early on Thursday, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich toured the border with Lebanon and vowed that “very soon, Dahiya will look like Khan Younis.” With that, he gave voice to a historic shift that has been unfolding over the last two years in how Israel relates to the peoples of this region. The Israeli army has issued a blanket evacuation order for Beirut’s entire southern Dahiya district, home to well over half a million people, as widespread panic grips the city. Similar broad evacuation orders have been given to southern Lebanon, which, alongside Dahiya, is predominantly made up of the population from which Hezbollah draws its base of social support. Comparisons to Gaza were not far from people’s minds, fearing that Beirut would suffer the same fate of total annihilation, as pointed out by commentators . More commentary identifies a similar pattern in the “ apocalyptic ” scenes unfolding in Tehran. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has called this a “tornado plan” to “destroy Tehran,” describing a strategy to level targets with “high visibility in a civilian environment” in the city. Two more schools were targe…

IDF says it killed armed Hezbollah operative after manhunt in southern Lebanon <p>Lebanon's president rejects criticism by Amnesty and other NGOs of deal with Israel, says Beirut seeking to 'turn the page on wars,' urges US to ‘keep standing’ by his country</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-says-it-killed-armed-hezbollah-operative-after-manhunt-in-southern-lebanon/">IDF says it killed armed Hezbollah operative after manhunt in southern Lebanon</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com">The Times of Israel</a>.</p> <figure><img src="https://static-cdn.toi-media.com/www/uploads/2026/07/AP26171486185408-e1783191212358-1024x640.jpg" title="IDF says it killed armed Hezbollah operative after manhunt in southern Lebanon" border="0" width="160" height="100" class="type:primaryImage"></figure>

IDF reactivates old Jordan border outposts amid new threats from the ... Read this article in: A fortified position along the Jordanian border which dates back to the 1967 Six-Day War. (Photo: IDF) The Israeli military has begun upgrading and fortifying old outposts and bunkers along Israel’s border with Jordan. Although the two countries signed a peace agreement in 1994, Israel is increasingly concerned about the potential for mass-infiltration from Jordanian territory in the east. Military assessments indicate that this risk has grown considerably since the Hamas massacre on Oct. 7, 2023. The border outposts, reportedly built in the 1960s, are being reactivated for the first time since the 1970s in response to the escalating threat. The fortifications stretch for approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles), covering about 20% of the 400-kilometer (250-mile) border between Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The Israeli military’s Central Command, which oversees security in Judea and Samaria (internationally known as the West Bank) and the strategically important Jordan Valley border region, is increasing its readiness in response to potential “war tomorrow” threats along the …

Amid ceasefire, Lebanon tallies cost of Israel-Hezbollah war - CSMonitor.com Iran war Amid extended ceasefire, Lebanon assesses high cost of Israel-Hezbollah war | Scott Peterson/Getty Images/The Christian Science Monitor Lebanese building manager Abdallah Mdeik describes surviving the deadly April 8 Israeli attack on his building in the normally safe Ain al-Mreisseh neighborhood, in Beirut, April 23, 2026. Loading... By Scott Peterson Staff writer @peterson__scott April 24, 2026, 5:01 p.m. ET | Beirut Along Ain al-Mreisseh’s breezy waterfront avenue, which Beirut residents fill daily with walkers and runners breathing the fresh sea air, the neighborhood exudes a carefree confidence. “All the people here are friendly, and all are very calm. They walk their dogs and go to exercise,” says Abdallah Mdeik, the manager of an old six-story building, half a block up from the water. “This is the safest place in all Beirut.” Yet even as Lebanon welcomes the extension of a ceasefire that U.S. President Donald Trump announced late Thursday local time, the state of Mr. Mdeik’s building speaks to the heavy price the country has paid for this latest Israel-Hezbollah war. Why We Wrote This In th…

Israel, Lebanon Sign Historic Agreement, IDF to Remain Until Hezbollah ... Israel Headline Latest News War & Peace Diplomacy Topics Diplomacy Israel, Lebanon Sign Historic Agreement, IDF to Remain Until Hezbollah Disarms Israel, Lebanon Sign Historic Agreement, IDF to Remain Until Hezbollah Disarms WhatsApp X Telegram Facebook Email Israeli, Lebanese Ambassadors to the US sign historic deal brokered by Washington. June 26, 2026 Photo Credit: US Dept of State/YouTube By: Hana Levi Julian June 27, 2026 – 13 Tammuz 5786 The State of Israel signed an historic agreement on Friday with Lebanon, brokered by the United States. In her remarks during the signing ceremony, Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad was careful, however, not to refer to the State of Israel by name. Defense Minister Israel Katz said it was “an important political and security achievement . . . which may shape a new and safer reality on the northern border and in Lebanon for the first time in decades and strengthen the security of Israeli citizens over time.” US Secretary of State Rubio hailed the event, saying the people of Lebanon “have suffered tremendously now for decades as a result of outside inter…

Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas: Who they are and what they want Advertisement Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A Will they or won’t they? After weeks of speculation, it finally began. Israel, which had been bombarding positions in Lebanon from the air, confirmed it had sent troops across its northern border, accompanied by a cacophony of outgoing artillery fire, whizzing drones and the whup-whup of battle helicopters. The mission, according to the Israel Defence Forces, was a “targeted and limited ground operation” against villages near the Lebanese border “against terrorist targets and infrastructures of the terrorist organisation Hezbollah”. Further north, blasts continued to rock Beirut’s southern suburbs, following a series of devastating air strikes that levelled several residential buildings and killed Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah. “Every few minutes I hear loud explosions – some louder than the others,” reported BBC correspondent Nafiseh Kohnavard from Beirut. “My neighbours are all awake and with each explosion they run to their balcony to see where the air strike hit.” To the south, me…

How Israel Is Using the Same Tactics in Lebanon That It Did in Gaza An entire street is leveled. Houses and shops are flattened, including a popular cafe. This is what is left of the town of Bint Jbeil, just a couple of miles from the Israeli border, nearly two months after Israel relaunched its ground offensive in southern Lebanon. The village of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon. Drone video from @amitseg, via Telegram. The destruction of this town, a Hezbollah stronghold, is repeated again and again across southern Lebanon, a lush region of undulating vistas, where Israel has razed border villages as part of an effort to lay the groundwork for a larger occupation. The approach, Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said, was modeled on tactics the military used in Gaza, where the Israeli military reduced entire neighborhoods , buildings and streets to rubble . After the war between Israel and Hezbollah reignited in early March, when Hezbollah attacked Israel in solidarity with Iran, Israel established a several-mile-deep “buffer zone” that it says it will continue to occupy until the threat from Hezbollah is contained. An analysis of satellite images, along with photos and vid…

Hezbollah leader urges Lebanon's government to cancel Israel talks as ... Hezbollah leader urges Lebanon's government to cancel Israel talks as battle rages in strategic town Kareem Chehayeb Associated Press Published: April 13, 2026 at 7:27 AM Updated: April 13, 2026 at 6:58 PM Full Screen 1 / 5 Previous photo Next photo Ahmad Assi, 29, cries on the grave of his friend Hassan Ali Badawi, a paramedic of the Lebanese Red Cross killed in a Israeli strike, during his funeral in Choueifat, Lebanon, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Graves bearing photos of Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli strikes are seen in a cemetery in Choueifat, Lebanon, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Ahlam Badawi, 51, left, mother of Hassan Ali Badawi, 31, a paramedic of the Lebanese Red Cross killed in a Israeli strike, cries during his funeral in Choueifat, Lebanon, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Family members pray at the grave of a relative buried alongside Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli strikes, in a cemetery in Choueifat, Lebanon, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Ahlam Badawi, 51, center, mother of Hassan Ali Badawi, 31…

Israeli Military Destroys Hezbollah Underground Infrastructure in ... ScanX News Israeli Military Destroys Hezbollah Underground Infrastructure in Southern Lebanese Village Israeli Military Destroys Hezbollah Underground Infrastructure in Southern Lebanese Village 0 min read Updated on 29 Jun 2026, 01:38 AM Reviewed by Shriram S ScanX News Team Add as a preferred source on Google AI Summary The Israeli military has announced the destruction of Hezbollah underground infrastructure in a southern Lebanese village. Israel's Prime Minister's Office confirmed that the United States was notified ahead of the strike. No further details regarding the specific location or scale of the operation were provided in the available information. powered by *this image is generated using AI for illustrative purposes only. The Israeli military has announced the destruction of Hezbollah underground infrastructure situated in a southern Lebanese village. The operation marks a reported strike targeting subsurface installations attributed to the militant group in the region. U.S. Notified Ahead of Strike According to Israel's Prime Minister's Office, the United States was informed prior to the execution …

Why is there fighting in Lebanon? | CNN A displaced family on a scooter fleeing Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon drives on a highway in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, on June 19, 2026. Mohammed Zaatari/AP The Middle East See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! Follow Persistent fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon is threatening a tentative deal reached between the United States and Iran to end their war. Their memorandum of understanding includes a ceasefire in Lebanon that would protect Iran’s long-time ally Hezbollah from Israeli strikes, so long as it doesn’t fire at Israel. The fighting had already led to the postponement of US-Iran talks that would begin the difficult process of resolving long-term issues like Tehran’s nuclear program and sanctions – and the closure of the crucial Strait of Hormuz by Iran’s military brass. With fighting continuing in southern Lebanon, and looming over resumed negotiations between US and Iranian officials in Switzerland on Sunday, here’s how we got here: Why is there fighting in Lebanon? Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Shiite Islamist movement with one of the most powerful paramili…

Lebanese army boosts presence along Israel border after ceasefire | AP News A Lebanese army soldier stands at the entrance of a tunnel dug into a mountain that was used by Hezbollah militants as a clinic and storage facility near the Lebanese-Israeli border in the Zibqin Valley, southern Lebanon, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein) Boxes of canned food are scattered inside one of the rooms of the tunnel dug into a mountain that was used by Hezbollah militants as a clinic and storage facility, near the Lebanese-Israeli border in the Zibqin Valley, southern Lebanon, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein) Lebanese army soldiers look at the Israeli military post of Hanita, left, and the Labbouneh post, one of five hills occupied by Israeli forces since last year, right, from a Lebanese military position in the village of Alma al-Shaab in south Lebanon, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein) Lebanese army soldiers walk through a tunnel dug into a mountain that was used by Hezbollah militants as a clinic and storage facility, near the Lebanese-Israeli border in the Zibqin Valley, southern Lebanon, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein) ZIBQIN V…

No red lines: Israel's new tactics in its war on Lebanon - with pages ... No red lines: Israel's new tactics in its war on Lebanon - with pages taken from the Gaza playbook After years of impunity in the Palestinian strip, Israel is deploying the same strategies in Lebanon: mass displacement orders, 'double-tap' strikes and attacks on civilian infrastructure. No rules of engagement. No red lines After Israel got away with what UN experts have decried as genocide in Gaza, its military is now openly pulling pages out of the “Gaza playbook” in its war across Lebanon. From 'double-tap' strikes to mass displacement orders, Lebanese civilians are paying the heaviest price in the conflict, which reignited on March 2 after Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel during a ceasefire that Israel violated on a near-daily basis since it came into effect on November 27, 2024, according to the UN. The new displacement orders cover about 14 per cent of Lebanese territory, according to the UN, forcing one in five people from their homes. They include all towns and villages south of the Litani River – more than 150 – home to about 250,000 people, or 4 per cent of the population, according to municipalit…

What to know as Israeli forces' historic Lebanon incursion complicates ... Israeli forces are now deeper inside Lebanon than they have been in over 25 years, despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire TEL AVIV, Israel --Israeli forces are making their deepest incursion insideLebanonsince they withdrew from the country over a quarter-century ago, despite a nominal U.S.-brokered ceasefire and the firstdirect talksbetween the countries in decades. The Israeli advance presents a challenge in the emerging deal to extend theIran warceasefire as Tehran wants any agreement to end fighting in Lebanon, too.Qatarcalled it a “dangerous escalation." Germany's foreign minister said it was cause for serious concern, according to German press agency dpa. There was no comment by the United States. On Sunday, Israeli forcesseized a symbolic fortin southern Lebanon that offers commanding views across Lebanon and into northern Israel. The last time they seized it, they held it for 18 years. Israel says it is targeting the Iranian-backedHezbollahmilitant group, which has a strong political presence in southern Lebanon and has launched thousands of missiles and drones at Israeli soldiers there and in northe…

Israel foils Hezbollah infiltration attempt Share Telegram WhatsApp Messenger Facebook Twitter Email Copy Tensions are running high on Israel’s northern front after a cell of Hezbollah militants managed to briefly infiltrate Israeli territory before retreating back into Lebanon. The incident occurred around 3:30 PM yesterday afternoon, when three or four Hezbollah operatives set off from the Shi’ite Muslim border village of Shuba toward Israel through the rocky region of Mount Dov. They were detected by a young female intelligence observer from the IDF’s Division 91, who immediately directed an IDF force to the area. A short time late, Israeli military light infantry and tanks opened fire from a distance of just several dozens of meters at the Iran ian-backed cell, which fled back into Lebanon. The IDF also fired numerous smoke shells toward the area of Mount Dov as part of tactical maneuvers to end to a brief exchange of fire between the two sides. The IDF Spokesperson to Arab world Avichay Adree said no injuries were sustained to the Israeli troops, who “ruined” Hezbollah’s planned attack . He further asserted that the nation’s defense establishment will remain “on high alert an…

IDF shells Hezbollah sites after soldier hurt in clash with gunman in south Lebanon <p>A week after Beirut-Jerusalem framework signed, Israel says it hit 10 infrastructure sites used by terror group; report says 640,000 displaced people have returned home so far</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-shells-hezbollah-sites-after-soldier-hurt-in-clash-with-gunman-in-south-lebanon/">IDF shells Hezbollah sites after soldier hurt in clash with gunman in south Lebanon</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com">The Times of Israel</a>.</p> <figure><img src="https://static-cdn.toi-media.com/www/uploads/2026/07/AP26182366440904-1-1024x640.jpg" title="IDF shells Hezbollah sites after soldier hurt in clash with gunman in south Lebanon" border="0" width="160" height="100" class="type:primaryImage"></figure>

Massive Israeli airstrikes 'completely destroy' Syrian military ... Read this article in: Description: Explosions from Israeli strikes on Hama military airport in Syria, April 3, 2025 (Photo used under section 27A of the copyright law). In an intense night of Israeli operations throughout Syria, the Air Force conducted massive airstrikes on several military airports and bases, while ground troops of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were involved in a firefight deep within Syrian territory. According to an IDF statement on Thursday morning, the airstrikes targeted “military capabilities that remained at the Syrian bases of Hama and T4, along with additional remaining military infrastructure sites in the area of Damascus.” However, an Israeli official told i24 News, “The Israeli strikes in Syria, both acknowledged and unacknowledged, are intended to convey a message to Turkey: Do not establish a military base in the country and do not interfere with Israeli activity in the country's skies.” Over a dozen airstrikes by the Israeli Air Force within the last hour on military sites in Central Syria, with strikes reported against Barzah Scientific Research Facility in Damascus, as well as …

How Israel Is Using the Same Tactics in Lebanon That It Did in Gaza - The New York Times An entire street is leveled. Houses and shops are flattened, including a popular cafe. This is what is left of the town of Bint Jbeil, just a couple of miles from the Israeli border, nearly two months after Israel relaunched its ground offensive in southern Lebanon. The village of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon. Drone video from @amitseg, via Telegram. The destruction of this town, a Hezbollah stronghold, is repeated again and again across southern Lebanon, a lush region of undulating vistas, where Israel has razed border villages as part of an effort to lay the groundwork for a larger occupation. The approach, Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said, was modeled on tactics the military used in Gaza, where the Israeli military reduced entire neighborhoods , buildings and streets to rubble . After the war between Israel and Hezbollah reignited in early March, when Hezbollah attacked Israel in solidarity with Iran, Israel established a several-mile-deep “buffer zone” that it says it will continue to occupy until the threat from Hezbollah is contained. An analysis of satellite images, along …

Inside Israel's buffer zone in Lebanon shielding border communities ... There has been much reporting and speculation in recent weeks regarding the direct talks between representatives of the Israeli and Lebanese governments. The meeting between Ambassadors Yechiel Leiter and Nada Hamadeh Moawad of Israel and Lebanon respectively in Washington a week ago has been hailed as potentially representing a diplomatic breakthrough between the two countries. From the ground, however, the situation looks rather different. The real power in Lebanon is located not in the presidential palace in Baabda, or the prime minister’s headquarters at Beirut’s Grand Serail. Rather, it lies with the leaders of Iran’s proxy Hezbollah. The terror group is represented in the current government, holding two ministerial portfolios including the ministry of health. Its Shia Amal allies control an additional three portfolios, including the ministry of finance. But Hezbollah’s power isn’t located in cabinet votes. Thanks to its Iranian master, the movement possesses a military force stronger than the official state armed forces. This capacity enables it to pursue its own foreign policy. It launches wars at a t…

IDF Eliminates Three Hezbollah Terrorists in Strike - IFCJ Photo: Michael Giladi/Flash90 The IDF has intensified its campaign against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, increasing strikes on terror infrastructure throughout the region. The Times of Israel reports that the most recent operation eliminated three Hezbollah operatives in the Bint Jbeil area. At the same time, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the Lebanese government must work to disarm the Iranian-backed terror group or face increased strikes from the IDF. The IDF says operatives had been identified by the 91st “Galilee” Regional Division’s 869th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit, and a short while later, they were struck and killed. The 91st Division has been deployed to the eastern sector of southern Lebanon, part of the IDF’s “enhanced forward defense posture,” after Hezbollah began attacking Israel this month. The division has been focusing on dismantling Hezbollah’s anti-tank missile launch sites and eliminating members of the terror group’s elite Radwan Force in their area of operations. The military deployed troops deeper in southern Lebanon in the past week, saying it aims to “establish a forward defens…

Lebanon is Paying the Price for the World’s Complicity in Gaza | OPINION Since Israel resumed its major military offensive against Lebanon in March 2026, at least 3,400 people have been killed, over a million displaced—exceeding 20 percent of the country’s population—and thousands more wounded. (Photo: Kamran Akhter/The Quint) advertisement The theatre of theUS-Israel war on Iranhas monopolised global attention while an escalating catastrophe is unfolding insouthern Lebanon—one whose logic, methods, and impunity are unmistakably familiar. Since Israel resumed its major military offensive against Lebanon in March 2026, at least 3,400 people have been killed; over a million displaced, exceeding 20 percent of the country’s population; and thousands more wounded. On 8 April alone, Amnesty International documented strikes across more than 100 targets in 10 minutes, on crowded residential neighbourhoods, hospitals, ambulances, and civilian infrastructure, in what Israel called “Operation Eternal Darkness”.On 31 May, Israel expanded its ground assault into its deepest incursion into Lebanon in a quarter-century, with troops seizing the ancient Beaufort Castle and raising an Israeli …