Israel intensifies maneuvers, advances on several fronts in south Lebanon

Tank movements, ground combat with Hezbollah: The Israeli army continues to advance in southern Lebanon and appears to intensify its maneuvers on several fronts in the area overnight from Monday to Tuesday, following the deployment of a new "combat unit" from the 36th Division to the zone.

These ground movements expanded as Israel continued its strikes against southern Lebanon, with several villages being bombarded and called to evacuate.

According to our correspondent in southern Lebanon, movements of Israeli troops were reported heading toward Taybeh (Marjayoun district) from Robb Thalathin, after an Israeli force entered the previous day through the border village of Odaisseh, in the same district.

Israeli vehicles and tanks were also seen moving on several routes from the Honin sector toward Houla and Markaba (Marjayoun); from the Maroun al-Ras plain towards the al-Khanouq neighborhood in Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil). These maneuvers included Israeli helicopters that fired heavy machine guns toward the locality.

An advance of vehicles was also observed toward the Ramieh, Qouzah, Salhani (Bint Jbeil) sector, accompanied by rocket fire. Explosions were heard at several locations along the border.

Around 2 a.m., Israeli advances were seen from Yaroun and Maroun al-Ras (Bint Jbeil), from Beit Lif toward Aita al-Shaab and Qouzah (Bint Jbeil), from Markaba and Houla toward the outskirts of Taybeh (Marjayoun), and finally from Kfar Kila and Khiam (Marjayoun).

Commenting on these movements, the Israeli army Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, asserted Tuesday morning that "the 91st and 36th divisions are continuing their operations in southern Lebanon as part of an operation to neutralize Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure." In this context, they "discovered large quantities of military equipment and propaganda materials, which were seized," he said.

Clashes between the Israeli army, Hezbollah in Khiam

According to our correspondent, intense clashes were also reported in Khiam between Hezbollah fighters and the Israeli army, with machine gun and rocket fire heard from the surrounding towns.

Hezbollah stated in several statements published overnight that its fighters repelled an attempted Israeli advance to the south of the village, near the former detention center, targeting two Merkava tanks, one of which was seen on fire. As they attempted to recover the vehicle, Israeli forces were targeted again. A third Merkava tank was destroyed in an ambush when an Israeli force tried to recover its dead.

The party also announced it had launched salvos of rockets at Israeli forces at the Jabal al-Bat position in Aitaroun, at an Israeli force attempting to infiltrate Houla, as well as at the Hamames Hill south of Khiam, which is occupied by the Israeli army. It also announced rocket and artillery fire, as well as drone attacks, on Israeli soldiers at Khanouq (Aitaroun), Kahil (Maroun al-Ras) and al-Marj (Markaba).

The party-militia also claimed responsibility overnight for several firings at positions within Israeli territory, notably at the al-Abbad and Malikiya sites, at a military factory west of Safed in Upper Galilee, at Misgav Am, at Tel Hashomer near Tel Aviv (120 km from the border), at Giv’ah east of Safed (a drone control base), and finally at the Yiftah barracks.

In its first statement of the day on Tuesday, Hezbollah announced it had launched a swarm of kamikaze drones on Monday at 10 a.m., for the first time, at the Tziporit base east of Haifa, located 35 km from the Lebanese border.

Southern Lebanon under Israeli fire

On the Lebanese side, Israeli threats and threats against the south continued on Tuesday. The Israeli army again issued an evacuation notice Tuesday morning to residents south of the Litani River, asking them to leave their homes and head directly north of the river.

It also ordered residents of four buildings in Saida, Sour, Haret Saida and Abbassieh (near Sour) to evacuate before bombing those areas. The residents of Alma al-Shaab, a Christian border village in the Sour district, who until now had refused to leave, evacuated their homes this morning under protection from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Overnight, the Israeli army carried out a series of strikes against the south, notably targeting several homes in Ansarieh (Saida) in retaliation, it said, "for rocket fire by Hezbollah from the village."

At dawn, Israeli aircraft struck the towns of Deir Natar, Kounin, Shaqra and Tibnin (Bint Jbeil), Khiam (Marjayoun) and Shehabieh (Sour). Around 7:30 a.m., aircraft raided a two-story house in Brayqeh (Nabatieh), totally destroying it, though there were no casualties. Other strikes targeted Mjadel, Kfar Sir (Nabatieh), Shaqra (Bint Jbeil), Jabal al-Rihan (Jezzine), while artillery fired on Ainata (Bint Jbeil) and the heights of Hebbarieh (Hasbaya).