Israel on Tuesday renewed intense airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and other locations as its forces pushed further into southern Lebanon. Meanwhile, Iran-backed Hezbollah continued firing missiles into northern Israel for a second straight day.
In separate statements, Hezbollah said it launched missiles and drones at Israeli military sites, including the Ramat David Airbase, describing the attacks as retaliation for what it called Israel’s “criminal aggression” in Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern Lebanon. The group said the strikes killed dozens of civilians, including women and children.
Hezbollah also claimed it downed an Israeli drone over Nabatiyeh and targeted a Merkava tank in the Kfar Shouba hills.
The Israeli army confirmed carrying out a series of strikes on Hezbollah’s communications and intelligence infrastructure in Beirut’s southern suburbs. It said the targets included the group’s elite Radwan forces, command centers, and Al-Nour radio station.
Israeli English-language media quoted the military as saying most Hezbollah rockets fell into open areas or the sea. It added that forces intercepted one rocket and two drones.
In a fresh development, the army said troops had advanced deeper into southern Lebanon beyond the five positions it currently holds, seizing additional sites along the border. The military described the move as strengthening forward defenses and creating an “additional security layer” for northern Israeli communities to prevent infiltration.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized the army to capture more strategic positions to prevent direct fire on Israeli communities.
However, the army’s Northern Command indicated it was unlikely to launch a broader ground invasion into Lebanon unless tensions with Iran ease.
The Israeli advance prompted the Lebanese army to withdraw from newly established border posts and return to its bases. President Joseph Aoun contacted French President Emmanuel Macron, seeking France’s intervention to halt Israel’s military expansion.
Aoun confirmed that Hezbollah had fired missiles from areas outside the southern Litani zone, where the Lebanese army is deployed, and said the army had taken control of Hezbollah positions. He described the decision to bar Hezbollah from military and security activities as “sovereign and final,” adding that security forces would enforce it.
Lebanon’s health minister reported that 40 people, including seven children, were killed and 246 injured since Monday. The escalation has brought the total casualties since the November 27, 2024 cease-fire to 437 dead and 1,348 wounded.
As Israel issued fresh evacuation orders for dozens of southern Lebanese villages, many residents fled in heavy traffic, spending the night in their vehicles. Most left without essential belongings or medication, while residents in Sidon and along the Beirut highway distributed food and water to those stranded.
Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed said 58,064 displaced people have registered in shelters, with 52 of the 321 centers already full. She urged others to relocate to Mount Lebanon and northern regions as authorities work to meet growing needs nationwide.
Sayed said state institutions remain on full alert and are implementing a coordinated response plan.
The U.N. refugee agency reported widespread displacement across southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and Beirut’s southern suburbs following Israeli evacuation warnings. It also recorded a rise in Syrian refugees returning home, with about 11,000 crossing into Syria on Monday, above the daily average, amid fears of further escalation.
