The key facts

  • Airstrikes and artillery shelling on Nabatieh, Tyre and Bint Jbeil; a column with four Merkava tanks advanced toward Nabaa al-Hukh near Hubbariyeh
  • Technical meetings between Beirut and Tel Aviv in the US have been ongoing since Tuesday; 'pilot zones' for troop withdrawal are being discussed
  • According to NNA, since March 2 at least 4,386 people have been killed, 12,407 wounded, over 1 million displaced; more than 50 towns remain occupied

Strikes on southern Lebanon

On Thursday, Israeli military aircraft carried out airstrikes and artillery shelling on a number of areas in southern Lebanon, Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reports. The aircraft struck the town of Kafr Tebnit in the Nabatieh district, while artillery shelled Mansouri and the Bayt as-Sayyad farm south of Tyre. The Zibqin valley was also shelled, and overnight — the area between Beit Yahoun and Baraashit in the Bint Jbeil district.

Advance toward Hubbariyeh

According to NNA, Israeli artillery fired six shells in succession at the outskirts of Hubbariyeh as a military force advanced toward the area. A group of about 20 soldiers and four tanks was advancing toward the Nabaa al-Hukh area on the outskirts of Hubbariyeh in the Hasbaya district, firing machine guns and conducting searches. Four Merkava tanks were seen moving near Nabaa al-Hukh. Separately, an Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade near a fishing boat off al-Amiriyeh; no casualties were immediately reported.

Negotiations context

The strikes come amid ongoing technical military meetings between Beirut and Tel Aviv, which began on Tuesday in the US state of Florida under US auspices. According to an Anadolu correspondent, the meetings are aimed at verifying implementation of the framework agreement and discussing 'pilot zones' from which the Israeli army is to withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon.

The June 26 agreement

The agreement reached between Beirut and Tel Aviv on June 26 with US mediation provides for Israel's phased withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories in exchange for the deployment of the Lebanese army and the disarmament of armed groups. It introduced the principle of 'pilot zones,' but so far it has been applied in only three southern towns — Frun, Srifa and Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in the Nabatieh district — while, according to the agency, more than 50 towns remain occupied.

Tally of ongoing attacks

Despite the agreement, Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue. According to NNA, since March 2 they have killed at least 4,386 people, wounded 12,407, and displaced more than 1 million people. Israel continues to hold territories in southern Lebanon — some for decades, some seized during the 2023–2024 war; in the latter conflict, Israeli forces advanced roughly 10 km (6.2 miles) into Lebanese territory.