Israel Strikes Southern Lebanon Towns, Issues Evacuation Orders as Hezbollah Resistance Mounts

Israeli forces launched a wave of airstrikes and artillery bombardment across southern Lebanon overnight and into Friday, targeting towns in the Nabatieh and Bint Jbeil districts. Warplanes struck Majdalzoun, Toulin, and the area between Arnoun and Kfartebnit, while drones hit Nabatieh city and Jibsheet, according to Lebanese reports. Artillery shelling pounded Toulin, Hanawayh, Sahmar, Majdalzoun, Mansouri, and Bayut al-Siyad. In a significant escalation, the Israeli army issued evacuation warnings to residents of Sarafand, Tefahata, and Mazraat Sinai, with the mayor of Sarafand urging civilians to flee to safe areas and keep roads clear for ambulances. The operations continued despite US President Donald Trump's announcement of a memorandum of understanding with Iran that purportedly covers Lebanon, underscoring the fragility of diplomatic efforts.

The Israeli military said it had struck approximately 310 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon over the past week, killing around 80 fighters, and that ground forces were operating along the front line to dismantle infrastructure. A video released by the army showed a recent operation in the village of Dbin, some 12 kilometres from the Israeli border, north of the defensive line established by Israeli troops. The footage, which the army said resulted in the killing of several Hezbollah members, illustrated the depth of Israeli ground incursions. However, the claims of success were met with scepticism in parts of the Israeli media, which reported growing concern among military commanders about the erosion of Israel's deterrence on the Lebanese front.

Hezbollah, for its part, announced it had carried out 24 operations against Israeli positions in a 24-hour period, including drone and missile attacks that Israeli media described as increasingly difficult to counter. Clashes were also reported in the Wadi al-Hujair area, where Hezbollah fighters engaged Israeli soldiers. The Israeli army acknowledged the death of an officer and a soldier in southern Lebanon, and military radio noted that 18 soldiers had been killed since the ceasefire was declared—a figure that highlights the ongoing intensity of hostilities despite the truce. Iranian media, relaying Lebanese reports, noted that the village of Sahmar in the western Bekaa was hit by two missiles, expanding the geographical scope of the strikes beyond the immediate border zone.

Viewed from Washington, the latest violence complicates the Trump administration's diplomatic overture to Iran, which was presented as a potential framework for calming regional flashpoints, including Lebanon. Analysts in London note that the gap between Israeli military claims of operational success and the persistent Hezbollah attacks, coupled with civilian displacement in the south, suggests a protracted conflict that neither side appears able to decisively win. The evacuation warnings and the spread of strikes to the Bekaa Valley signal that Israel is widening its campaign, even as its own media question the sustainability of the current approach. With the ceasefire in tatters, the trajectory points towards further escalation rather than de-escalation.