In the village of Hrabta, in northern Bekaa, smoke rises following Israeli artillery shells on Feb. 27, 2026. (Credit: Sarah Abdallah/L'Orient Today)
The Lebanese Army established seven new positions near Lebanon's southern border in recent days, scattered across the villages of Yaroun, Maroun al-Ras, Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil), Mayss al-Jabal and Sarda (Marjayoun), according to our correspondent in the South. The army is also expected to establish five new positions within the next two days.
In parallel with the army's reinforcements at the border, the Israeli army carried out sporadic fire on Friday on southern Lebanon, one day after Israeli strikes in the Bekaa killed two people. These attacks, despite the cease-fire that took effect on Nov. 27, 2024, were the subject of a meeting between President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who also discussed international support for the Lebanese Army at the Paris conference held March 5.
At dawn, three Israeli shells targeted the so-called al-Mahafir area on the outskirts of Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil district), our correspondent reports. The shells were fired from a tank positioned at the Israeli al-Malikiya outpost, near the Lebanese border. Later in the morning, medium Israeli artillery carried out heavy fire toward the fields of Wazzani (Hasbaya district).
These new attacks come the day after 13 Israeli strikes in northern Bekaa that killed two people, a 16-year-old Syrian teenager and a Lebanese woman, and injured 29 others, including nine children, according to the final toll released Friday by the Health Ministry. The Israeli army had stated it struck “eight training camps” of the al-Radwan force, Hezbollah’s elite unit, in the Bekaa.
The funeral of one of the two victims, Fatima Siblaoui, was held in the town of Flaoua, west of Baalbeck, in the presence of Hezbollah. The other victim was a 16-year-old Syrian, Hussein Mohsen al-Khalaf.
Lebanese officials fear that if there is an American-Israeli attack on Iran, amid rising tensions, the pro-Iranian party-militia may get involved in the conflict.
It was in this context that Aoun and Salam discussed, during a meeting at the Baabda Presidential Palace, the continuation of Israeli attacks, particularly in the South and the Bekaa.
The two leaders also discussed ongoing preparations for the international conference in support of the army — tasked with disarming still-armed militias, including the party — and for the Internal Security Forces (ISF), scheduled for March 5 in Paris, according to the presidency’s X account.
The commander-in-chief of the Lebanese Army, Rodolph Haykal, was officially invited on Friday to participate in the conference by the French ambassador to Lebanon, Hervé Magro, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
The Interior Minister, Ahmad Hajjar, also received an invitation to participate in the conference. He stressed that Lebanon is counting on the success of this event, given its crucial importance at this stage, and affirmed that support for the ISF, alongside the Lebanese Army, is an essential objective for strengthening the state's capacity to extend its authority throughout the national territory and preserve security and stability.
Earlier, Aoun chaired a security meeting at the presidential palace about the preparations for this conference, in the presence of Defense Minister Michel Menassa, Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar, ISF Director Raed Abdallah, and Haykal.
Israel continues attacks on southern Lebanon, demolishes buildings in Bint Jbeil