Conflict With Hezbollah in Lebanon
In response to U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Hezbollah launched rockets and drones toward Israel on March 2, entering the broader regional escalation stemming from the war with Iran. The attack was likely acting on direction from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and marked the first time Hezbollah had fired at Israel since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire came into effect in November 2024. Continued cross-border salvos have since followed, and Israel has responded with intensified airstrikes throughout Lebanon, particularly targeting Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut’s southern suburbs. On March 24, Israel’s Defense Minister announced that Israel would occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River. According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health, Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,070 people and wounded an additional 2,966. More than one million people—roughly one-fifth of the country’s population—have been displaced, precipitating a significant humanitarian crisis.
Background
After gaining independence in 1943, Lebanon’s new political leaders created a system of governance that would allow for the proportional representation of the country’s three major religious groups: Maronite Christians (represented by the president), Shiite Muslims (represented by the speaker of parliament), and Sunni Muslims (represented by the prime minister). However, unresolved sectarian differences eventually devolved into a civil war that lasted from 1975 to 1990, in which both Israeli and Syrian forces intervened—and more than one hundred thousand people died. Syrian forces withdrew from Lebanon in 2005 following the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, but a war between Israel and Hezbollah quickly followed in 2006.
Since these hostilities, sectarian tensions between Hezbollah and other religious sects have increased, particularly among Sunnis and Maronite Christians. The unique balance of power within the country has made it increasingly difficult for all stakeholders to come to political agreements, especially when it comes to filling the presidency. In addition to a two-and-a-half-year leadership gap from 2014 to 2016, Lebanon is currently without a president after the conclusion of Michel Aoun’s contentious term in October 2022. Furthermore, Lebanese politics has become a proxy battleground for Iran, which provides support for Hezbollah; and Saudi Arabia, which backed former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and other Sunni politicians.
Lebanon’s tenuous political situation can largely be attributed to political gridlock but has also occurred because of spillover from the Syrian civil war. In addition to hosting more than 1.5 million refugees (over 800,000 of whom are Syrian), the nearly thirteen-year conflict in Syria has affected cross-border trade and dampened Lebanon’s tourism industry. In addition to the world’s third-highest ratio of debt to gross domestic product, Lebanon also maintains one of the largest refugee populations per capita.
Despite Lebanon’s dissociation policy, Hezbollah’s armed component has also been involved in the Syrian civil war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This has exacerbated relations between Hezbollah and Israel along the shared (and disputed) Israel-Lebanon border and has led to increasingly hostile rhetorical exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel over Israeli air strikes in Syria. Hezbollah has allegedly supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since the start of the Syrian war in 2011.
In October 2019, widespread protests erupted throughout Lebanon as a result of endemic corruption and a complete stagnation of the economy. Protestors—coming from all religious sects—called for the establishment of a new political regime, which did away with the sectarian divides that had plagued the country since its independence. This rare unity among the citizens resulted in the resignation of the Cabinet of Ministers and put into motion the reshuffling of the government. However, the COVID-19 pandemic put an effective end to any change that had been culminating.
Tensions between the government and its citizens reached an all-time high once again following an explosion at the Port of Beirut in August 2020, which cost an estimated $15 billion in damages and left more than 300,000 homeless. The explosion—which many attributed to years of government negligence—reignited widespread protests and saw the entire cabinet resign, with the government staying on only in a caretaker capacity. The domestic investigation into the explosion has become a highly politicized affair as the Shia-majority political parties, Amal and Hezbollah, have moved to obstruct the investigation by shielding politicians and threatening the presiding judge.
Recent Developments
The culmination of several factors, including widespread government corruption, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Beirut port explosion, have led to the worst financial crisis in the small country’s history. After Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced that Lebanon would default on its Eurobond debt for the first time, the Lebanese currency began to plummet in valuation, leading to hyperinflation. In April 2023, Lebanese inflation hit a high at almost 270 percent, reducing to 254 percent in June 2023. Despite being pegged to the United States Dollar at a rate of £L1507.5 per dollar since 1997, the Lebanese pound reached a new low of more than £L100,000 per dollar in March 2023.
In 2022, the Lebanese government and the IMF came to a staff-level agreement that would provide billions in economic assistance. The deal, however, is contingent on implementing several complex economic reforms that would increase financial and political transparency in Lebanon. While the government has been slow to implement reforms, more than 80 percent of the population lives in multidimensional poverty. Following the conclusion of President Michel Aoun’s term, the government has been unable to elect a new president, leaving the country in a political and economic vacuum. In June 2023, protests aimed at banks and politicians erupted after lawmakers failed in their twelfth attempt to elect a president. As of February 2024, the presidency remains vacant, with no indication of when the seat will be filled.
In early October 2023, tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border spiked in the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel from Gaza and Israel’s subsequent military campaign against the militant group. Though separate entities, Hezbollah and Hamas have long been united in their shared objective of armed resistance against Israel. Hezbollah not only voiced support for the attack but also fired artillery and rockets in solidarity with Palestinians across Israel’s northern border, raising fears that another front would be opened leading to a broader conflict in the Middle East. Within the first few days of the war, at least three of Hezbollah’s members were killed during an Israeli bombardment of southern Lebanon.”
To send a message of deterrence to Iran and Hezbollah, the United States quickly deployed two of the Navy’s most powerful carrier strike groups to the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Despite its posturing, the Biden administration made it clear that the carriers and their accompanying weaponry were not there to engage in combat activities on behalf of Israel. This move by the United States did little to deter Hezbollah – in November 2023, the party’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, pledged that the front against its enemy would remain indefinitely active.
As of February 2024, fighting between Hezbollah and the Israeli military along the southern Lebanese border continues to escalate, having displaced over 90,000 individuals from south Lebanon. Since October 7, 2023, more than 1,700 rockets have been fired from Lebanon toward Israel, killing 15 Israelis, and injuring more than 150 people, according to the Israeli military. Approximately 158 Lebanese people have been killed in the ongoing violence including at least 25 civilians, and 686 people have been wounded. On October 13, a Reuters journalist was killed and six other journalists were wounded in shelling by Israeli forces while they were reporting at the border. Fueled by concerns about journalists being potentially targeted in Gaza and south Lebanon, human rights organizations have called for an investigation into the attack. On November 5, an Israeli air strike on a car between the southern Lebanese villages of Aynata and Aitaroun killed three girls between the ages of ten and fourteen and their grandmother, sparking outrage throughout the country.
On January 2, 2024, Israel launched a drone strike on a Hamas office in Dahiyeb, a southern suburb of Beirut, killing seven people. Though the Israeli military and intelligence service have historically conducted assassinations on Palestinian leaders in Lebanon, this strike was the first in the country’s capital since 2006. Among those killed were Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy chief of the Hamas political bureau, and two senior commanders of the Qassam Brigades. In response, Hezbollah’s Nasrallah pledged to retaliate, while Lebanon filed a complaint to the United Nations Security Council over the assassination. As of February 2024, the border remains volatile, with near-daily exchanges of fire, driving fears of regional spillover of the Gaza conflict.
Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Largely Holds
Lebanon is experiencing the longest pause in fighting since Hezbollah and Israel resumed hostilities in March, following Israeli attacks two days earlier (Reuters).
Netanyahu Rules Out IDF Withdrawal From Southern Lebanon
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the IDF would remain in what he termed the “security zone” in southern Lebanon “for as long as necessary,” and Israel’s Defense Minister separately stated there would be no withdrawal from seized territory in Lebanon (Times of Israel).
Israeli Strikes Kill Twenty in Lebanon Hours After Ceasefire
Israel, Hezbollah Agree to Ceasefire After Escalation in Hostilities
Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire, a U.S. official said, after the Lebanese health ministry reported that Israel’s airstrikes killed at least forty-seven overnight; Israel also reported four of its soldiers were killed by Hezbollah attacks in southern Lebanon (Reuters). The ceasefire, which President Trump reportedly asked Israeli leaders to agree to, came after Iran temporarily withdrew from negotiations with the United States following the Israeli attacks (NYT).
Iran: U.S.-Iran Agreement Extends to Fighting in Lebanon
Iranian and Pakistani officials have said that the agreement between the United States and Iran would include an end to the fighting in Lebanon; however, President Trump has not publicly commented on whether that is the case (NYT). Hezbollah issued a statement congratulating Iran, its primary backer, for what it described as the “major achievement” of securing a “comprehensive ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon” (NYT). Meanwhile, Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said that Israel plans to stay “indefinitely” in the land it holds in Lebanon, and threatened that if Iran attacks Israel over its strikes in Lebanon, Israel will strike Iran with “great force” (AP). Fighting in southern Lebanon eased after the U.S-Iran agreement was announced, but an Israeli drone strike killed one person, and authorities warned displaced people not to rush home (Reuters). The secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said war and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, would end permanently starting tonight (Reuters).
Israeli Strike on Beirut Complicates U.S.-Iran Talks
Israeli strikes on the outskirts of Beirut, which killed three people and injured sixteen, were condemned by President Trump, who said in a social media post that the strikes “should not have happened,” urging Israel and Hezbollah to exercise restraint as the United States and Iran moved toward signing a framework agreement (NYT). Prior to the strikes, the Israeli military said that Hezbollah had launched three projectiles towards communities in northern Israel in violation of a ceasefire in Lebanon (Reuters). Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement it “strongly condemns” the Israeli strikes, which it described as a “blatant violation of Lebanon’s national sovereignty;” Iran also said that the United States bears “direct responsibility” for Israel’s “ceasefire violations” (BBC).
Israeli Strikes Kill Thirteen in Southern Lebanon
Continued Israeli strikes on Tyre and the surrounding areas of southern Lebanon have killed at least thirteen (Reuters). Additionally, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said that a team of investigators will deploy to Lebanon next week to assess potential violations of international law by all parties (Al Jazeera).
Israeli Strikes Kill Eight in Tyre as It Issues New Evacuation Order
Israeli strikes in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre killed eight people before Israel issued an evacuation order, telling the whole city—including its northwestern Christian quarter— to leave before launching further attacks (Reuters).
Israeli Strikes Kill Nine in Southern Lebanon, Days After Ceasefire
Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon killed nine people, in what Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called a “flagrant violation” of the country’s sovereignty and of international law; three Lebanese army officers were among those killed (AP).
Hezbollah Rejects Ceasefire Agreement
Hezbollah rejected the latest ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government, demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon (BBC). Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem called the agreement “absurd, humiliating, and insulting,” and said that the demand that Hezbollah fighters leave southern Lebanon was tantamount to surrender (NPR). The announcement came as Israeli strikes killed at least four people, and a UN peacekeeper was killed in the crossfire (AP).
Israel and Lebanese Government Agree to Ceasefire
Israel and the Lebanese government have agreed to implement a ceasefire following U.S.-led negotiations; according to the statement, the ceasefire is contingent on a cessation of Hezbollah fire, Israel’s withdrawal south of the Litani River, and the creation of “pilot” security zones inside Lebanon from which Hezbollah would be banned (State).
Lebanon Reaches Partial Ceasefire With Israel
The Lebanese Embassy in Washington said that Israel had agreed to halt its attacks on Beirut and its southern suburbs that are controlled by Hezbollah, while the Iran-backed group would cease attacks; however, the IDF is continuing operations in southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah has not stopped its attacks on northern Israel (Reuters).
Netanyahu: Capture of Beaufort Castle Marks “Decisive Shift”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said IDF soldiers would remain at the strategic fort as part of Israel’s expanding security zone in Lebanon (Guardian). Israel issued an evacuation warning to Lebanese residents for all of southern Lebanon below the Zahrani river, moving beyond its earlier demarcation of the Litani river (BBC).
Israel Launches Over 120 Strikes in Heaviest Bombardment in Weeks
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the Israeli military was expanding operations in the country as the bombing campaign further undermined the April 16 ceasefire (Reuters).
Hezbollah Warns Against Talks
The group’s leader has called for the Lebanese government to abandon direct negotiations with Israel, which are scheduled to continue in Washington this week; in a letter to Hezbollah officials, he wrote that the potential disarmament of Hezbollah, a key issue in the negotiations, was an internal matter (AP).
Israel Strikes Beirut
Israel struck Beirut for the first time since agreeing to a ceasefire with Hezbollah last month, targeting a commander of the militant group’s elite Radwan force (Reuters). The Israel-Lebanon truce agreed to last month stipulated that Israel would only conduct defensive operations (State). The attack on the city’s southern suburbs underscored how fighting in Lebanon could pose an obstacle to a regional peace deal—even as Iran studies a U.S. proposal to end the war; a draft U.S.-Iran agreement would include a ceasefire in Lebanon, Israel’s Channel 12 reported, while unnamed U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal that multiple different drafts of a deal are being considered (Times of Israel; WSJ).
Israel Issues New Evacuation Order
Despite a ceasefire agreement, Israel warned residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate their homes ahead of renewed Israeli military operations; the evacuation order covered the area north of the Litani River, stretching beyond the area Israel previously said it would occupy (CNA).
Israeli Strikes Kill Nine in Southern Lebanon Despite Ceasefire
Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least nine people on Thursday, with the victims including two children, Lebanon’s health ministry reported (BBC).
Hezbollah’s Stance on Armament
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said in a statement that the group would not give up its weapons, rejecting one of Israel’s key goals in its peace talks with Lebanon; Israel has continued to strike targets in Lebanon despite a ceasefire, saying Hezbollah has also violated the truce (NYT). Qassem criticized the Lebanese government for its decision to enter peace talks, while Lebanese President Joseph Aoun responded that Hezbollah had committed “treason” by not consulting the country when entering the war against Israel (Le Monde).
Lebanon Truce Extended
Following talks with Israeli and Lebanese envoys, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire in Lebanon will go on for three more weeks (Truth Social). The extension buys more time for diplomacy toward a peace deal between the two countries (WaPo). A senior member of Hezbollah’s political council told the Associated Press the group would not abide by agreements reached in the Israel-Lebanon talks (AP).
Israel and Hezbollah Accuse Each Other of Violating Ceasefire
Hezbollah said Israel attacked civilians and homes in the country’s south and that the group had responded by firing into northern Israel (Reuters). Israel’s military said buildings it targets were part of Hezbollah’s infrastructure, which are not covered by the ceasefire (Times of Israel). In a meeting with Lebanon’s president, French President Emmanuel Macron said he would help the country prepare for talks with Israel (Reuters).
Israel-Lebanon Talks to Proceed in Washington
A ten-day truce in Lebanon announced last Thursday has largely held, though Israel has warned some displaced Lebanese families not to return to their homes inside the Israeli military buffer zone (NYT). A U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed that peace negotiations between Israel and Lebanon will take place on Thursday in Washington (Reuters). Lebanon’s delegation in separate talks with Israel will be led by the country’s former U.S. ambassador, Simon Karam, President Joseph Aoun said (Haaretz). Israel will be represented by its ambassador to the United States, an unnamed U.S. official (Times of Israel).
Ceasefire Begins in Lebanon
Trump Announces Ten-Day Ceasefire in Lebanon
In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun agreed to a ten-day ceasefire; the truce removes a critical obstacle to U.S.-Iran peace talks, as Tehran said any truce must also halt fighting between Israel and Hezbollah (Guardian). However, the ceasefire’s success hinges in part on the actions of a group not officially party to the formal agreement: Hezbollah, the Iran-backed proxy that has been Israel’s primary combatant in the country (WaPo). A document outlining the truce published by the U.S. State Department said both countries had agreed Lebanon would work to prevent Hezbollah from attacking Israel, while Israel would cease “offensive military operations” against Lebanese targets in Lebanon; the document also underscores Israel’s right to self-defense (State). Israeli and Lebanese officials agreed to the truce, while Hezbollah acknowledged it in public statements but said its actions would be based “on how developments unfold” (NYT).
Israel Continues Strikes Across Lebanon
The Israeli military stated it was continuing strikes across Lebanon, noting that it had struck over two hundred targets in the past twenty-four hours; the continued strikes come a day after negotiations between Lebanon and Israel in Washington (NYT). Lebanon’s National News Agency reported artillery shelling and airstrikes across different locations in southern Lebanon, including Bint Jbeil (AP). Hezbollah continued retaliatory attacks as the group fired over forty rockets towards northern Israel; one man, who was struck by shrapnel, was slightly injured in the attack (Times of Israel). Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on social media that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon are expected to speak directly tomorrow for the first time in decades (Truth Social). The Israeli security cabinet met this evening to discuss a possible ceasefire in Lebanon (Axios).
Lebanon and Israel Meet in Washington, D.C.
Lebanon and Israel held their first direct diplomatic talks since 1993 in Washington, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio participating alongside the ambassadors of both countries; Hezbollah, which is not represented at the talks, has already declared it will not honor any agreements reached (AP). After two hours of talks at the State Department, Israel’s U.S. ambassador expressed optimism, saying both sides found common ground in their shared goal of freeing Lebanon from Iranian-backed Hezbollah influence (NYT). Amid the talks in Washington, Israeli strikes in Lebanon continued; a wave of strikes across southern Lebanon, including a strike near the main hospital in the town of Tibnin, caused significant damage and injured several people (NYT).
Israel, Hezbollah Continue Exchanges Ahead of Israel-Lebanon Talks
Israel and Hezbollah continued intense exchanges, with Israel intercepting over ten drones, a rocket striking a home in northern Israel, and Israeli forces raiding sites in southern Lebanon; meanwhile, Israeli and Lebanese officials are set to meet in Washington on Tuesday to explore a potential end to the conflict (NYT). Israeli troops also launched a ground assault on Bint Jbeil, a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon, completing its encirclement of the town as Israeli officials claimed full control would be achieved within days, while Hezbollah fighters vowed to continue fighting given its strategic and symbolic importance (Reuters).
UNIFIL Says Israeli Troops Rammed Vehicles With Tank
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon stated that Israeli troops rammed into their vehicles using a Merkava tank (AP). UNIFIL stated that the troops blocked a road in southern Lebanon that it used to access peacekeeper positions (NYT). Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces said its ground forces carried out a raid on Hezbollah infrastructure; Hezbollah also continued retaliatory strikes, as the group announced it attacked Israeli military targets and fired missiles and drones into northern Israel (NYT).
IDF Strikes Over Two Hundred Hezbollah Targets
The Israeli military announced that it struck over two hundred Hezbollah targets in the past twenty-four hours, targeting infrastructure by air and continuing ground operations in southern Lebanon (AP). Retaliatory attacks continued as Hezbollah launched over thirty rockets towards Israel; separately, two Israeli soldiers were wounded in combat with the group (Times of Israel). As tensions remain high, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported that the death toll in Lebanon caused by Israeli strikes rose to 2,020 people (AP).
Israel Intensifies Strikes in Southern Lebanon
Israel intensified strikes in southern Lebanon on Friday, with Lebanon’s state news agency reporting the largest wave yet in Nabatieh, including a strike on a state security office that killed at least eight personnel; the Israeli military said two soldiers were also injured in a drone attack in southern Lebanon, though no new strikes were reported in Beirut by evening (NYT). Meanwhile, Israeli officials said that talks between Israel and Lebanon would be held in Washington next week (Reuters). Separately, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi urged Hezbollah and Israel to cease hostilities and reach a diplomatic settlement (AP).
IDF Kills Top Hezbollah Secretary
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon (NYT). Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces reported destroying approximately ten rocket launchers (AP). The IDF also reported killing Ali Yusuf Harshi, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem’s secretary, in Beirut; Hezbollah continued retaliatory fire and launched approximately seventy rockets towards northern Israel (Times of Israel). These developments come as Netanyahu stated he is seeking direct talks with Lebanon (Reuters).
Israel Intensifies Strikes in Lebanon
While Israel paused its strikes on Iran, it began what it called its largest wave of strikes on Lebanon as residents in Beirut and the south say that attacks came without the usual evacuation warnings (Reuters). This comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that the ceasefire did not apply to Lebanon, contradicting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who said it applied everywhere (NYT). The Israeli military said it struck over a hundred Hezbollah targets in just ten minutes in Beirut, Beqaa region, and southern Lebanon; targets included intelligence infrastructure, command centers, and missile launchers (AP). As the Israeli military is no longer stretched across multiple fronts, analysts say that it could intensify its offensive campaign against Hezbollah (NYT).
Lebanese Health Ministry Says 1,530 Killed by Israeli Strikes
The Lebanese health ministry announced that 1,530 people have been killed and over 4,800 injured by ongoing Israeli strikes; the ministry also reported that over a million people have been displaced (AP). Meanwhile, Hezbollah drone and rocket attacks injured one in northern Israel (AP). Amid Hezbollah attacks, the Israel Defense Force announced that it deployed its 98th division to support its ongoing ground offensive (Times of Israel). Separately, the IDF is reportedly refraining from striking a border crossing between Lebanon and Syria; this comes as both Lebanon and Syria pressed the United States on the need to keep the crossing open (Reuters).
Israeli Missile Strike Kills Anti-Hezbollah Politician
An Israeli missile strike on an apartment building in the Christian town of Ain Saadeh, east of Beirut, killed anti-Hezbollah politician Pierre Mouawad, his wife Flavia, and another woman; Israel said it was targeting a Hezbollah militant in the apartment above, but the third-floor unit was empty at the time (AP).
Israeli Airstrikes Kill At Least Eleven in Lebanon
According to Lebanon’s health ministry, an Israeli airstrike on the village of Kfarhata in south Lebanon killed seven; a separate Israeli strike on Beirut’s Jnah neighborhood killed four people and wounded thirty-nine others, the ministry said, adding that the Kfarhata attack came after the Israeli military issued an overnight evacuation order for the village’s residents (Reuters). Retaliatory attacks by Hezbollah continued as six people were lightly injured by a Hezbollah rocket that struck Deir al-Asad (Times of Israel).
Strikes Continue in Southern Lebanon
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that at least eleven people were killed and several others injured in Israeli strikes across Southern Lebanon; nine of these deaths occurred in Tyre district (Anadolu Agency). Strikes also continued in Beirut and its southern suburb of Dahiya, which is controlled by Hezbollah (NYT). Separately, an Israeli military official reported that a soldier was killed in Lebanon due to friendly fire (AP).
Israel to Establish New Defensive Lines in Lebanon
The Israeli military stated that it will soon establish new defensive lines in Lebanon to prevent attacks on communities in northern Israel (AP). Meanwhile, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that four were killed and fifteen others were injured in airstrikes across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley (Anadolu Agency).
Israel Katz Issues Threat to Naim Qassem
The Israeli military said it detected a barrage of rockets fired by Hezbollah (NYT). Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, stating that he would “pay a very heavy price” for rocket fire on Israel (Times of Israel). Amid continued escalations, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that the war shows no signs of ending (Reuters).
Israel Kills Hezbollah Commander
The Israeli military announced that it killed Yusuf Ishmail Hashem, the commander of Hezbollah’s Southern front, the day before; while it is unknown which strike killed Hashem, Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that an overnight strike killed seven and injured twenty-six in Beirut (NYT). Meanwhile, Lebanon’s army said that it was forced to redeploy and reposition some of its troops due to an increase in “Israeli aggression” (NYT). Retaliatory rocket fire by Hezbollah continued, striking a home in Kiryat Shmona; no injuries were reported in the attack (Times of Israel).
Israel Outlines Plan to Occupy Southern Lebanon After Ground Offensive
Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, announced plans to indefinitely occupy much of southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, roughly twenty miles from the Israeli border, even after its ground offensive concludes; he added that Lebanese border towns would be demolished and over six hundred thousand displaced residents would be barred from returning until the safety of northern Israelis is guaranteed (NYT). Katz said Israel planned to use the same tactics in Lebanese border towns that it used in parts of Gaza (Reuters). Separately, the Israel Defense Forces announced that four soldiers were killed, and three others were wounded in a clash with Hezbollah (Times of Israel). As strikes on Lebanon continue, the Lebanese Health Ministry also reported that more than 1,260 people have been killed and 3,750 wounded since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah (NYT). Ten European countries and the European Union (EU) jointly called for a ceasefire and for Lebanon’s territorial integrity to be respected (France MoFA).
Iranian Ambassador to Remain in Beirut
Iran stated that its ambassador to Lebanon would remain in Beirut, defying the Lebanese Foreign Ministry, which had asked him to leave and declared him persona non grata (Reuters). Meanwhile, two UN peacekeepers were killed when a convoy was struck by “an explosion of undetermined origin” (NYT). Hezbollah rocket attacks continued as the group fired a barrage of five rockets from Lebanon towards Haifa; no injuries were reported in the attack (Times of Israel).
Israel to Further Expand Security Zone in Southern Lebanon
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday that he has ordered the Israeli military to expand its security zone in southern Lebanon, citing the need to counter ongoing Hezbollah rocket fire and push anti-tank missile threats away from the border; his office provided no further details, and the security cabinet has not yet been briefed on the decision (Reuters). Meanwhile, three Israeli soldiers were severely wounded and several others moderately injured in Hezbollah attacks and other incidents in southern Lebanon (Times of Israel).
Three Lebanese Journalists Killed in Southern Lebanon
The Israel Defense Forces killed three Lebanese journalists in southern Lebanon in an airstrike that the IDF said targeted one of them; a follow-up strike that targeted rescue workers who were sent to assist them killed several others (Reuters). The IDF stated the strikes targeted a correspondent for Al-Manar, a news network owned by Hezbollah, who they accused of being an intelligence operative for the militant group (NYT). Meanwhile, the World Health Organization stated that nine paramedics were killed, and five others were wounded in strikes on healthcare facilities in southern Lebanon (Reuters). This comes as the IDF has repeatedly accused Hezbollah of using medical facilities and ambulances for military purposes (Times of Israel). Meanwhile, Hezbollah retaliatory attacks continued as an Israeli military official reported that close to 250 projectiles were launched by the group towards southern Lebanon; 23 of them crossed the border, while northern Israel experienced continued warning sirens (AP).
Continued Strikes and Rocket Attacks
The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced two people were killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburb of Tahwitat al-Ghadir (AP). Hezbollah retaliatory attacks continued as several rockets were fired toward Western Galilee; the Israel Defense Forces say the rockets struck open areas with no reported injuries (Times of Israel). Meanwhile, UN officials reported that over 370,000 children have been forcibly displaced from their homes amid mass evacuation orders and intensifying Israeli strikes (Reuters).