A photo taken from the southern Lebanese district of Nabatieh shows smoke as it rises from the sites of a series of Israeli airstrikes that targeted villages in southern Lebanon on March 22, 2026. Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2, when pro-Iran Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel in response to US-Israeli strikes that killed Iranian supreme leader on Feb. 28, 2026. (Credit: Abbas Fakih/AFP)
SOUTH LEBANON — At dawn Monday, Israeli warplanes struck the Kaakaiet al-Jisr bridge over the Litani River, severing the link between the Bint Jbeil and Nabatieh districts.
The road leading to the bridge had already been targeted on Wednesday, March 18, at the onset of the campaign to demolish all the bridges crossing the river.
Yesterday, as part of this operation, Israel twice bombed the Kasmieh bridge, north of Sour, one of the main road infrastructures linking the city to Saida, the other major city in the South.
At the same time, and from the early hours of the morning, Israel shelled Shakra and Ainata in the Bint Jbeil district, as well as Hadsheet, Kfar Tebnit, and Koussaybeh in the Nabatieh district. A drone strike targeted a two-wheeler in Majdel Selm, resulting in one critically injured person.
Throughout the night, Israeli strikes hit different areas across South Lebanon, where no fewer than 69 villages were hit by artillery fire or bombings Sunday, according to a count by our correspondent.
Starting at 10 p.m., Israeli artillery fire, some of it containing white phosphorus, hit the towns of Ain Arab (Marjayoun district), Qleileh (Sour), and Tebnine (Bint Jbeil). Israeli artillery continued to shell Khiam (Marjayoun), a village at the center of the most intense fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli troops since the beginning of their ground offensive.
At 11 p.m., a deadly raid struck the village of Shehabieh (Sour), where rescuers reported at least one dead and one injured. Other Israeli strikes also hit the outskirts of Habboush, Zefta (Nabatieh), Touline (Marjayoun), and Kafra (Bint Jbeil).
Machine gun fire from the so-called Israeli "Radar" site targeted the outskirts of Shebaa (Hasbaya), while intense sweeping operations took place in various neighborhoods of the locality of Khiam, which is now partly controlled by the Israeli army.
Airstrikes also targeted, the same night, Sohmor and Zellaya in West Bekaa, as well as the Saraïne plain, east of Baalbeck.
Israeli troops carried out new ground incursions in the Dahr area of Halta (Hasbaya district), searching homes before positioning themselves near several occupied houses. They also continued to blow up houses in three villages where they are now stationed.
Throughout Sunday, Hezbollah said it had repelled Israeli advances in several regions, mainly in the Marjayoun district (around Khiam, Taybeh, Markaba and Adaisseh), but also in Maroun al-Ras (Bint Jbeil), Marwahine and Dhaira (Sour).
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