A man stands on the rubble of his café destroyed by Israeli bombings, on April 17, 2026, in Nabatiyeh in South Lebanon, on the first day of a ten-day cease-fire. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/L'Orient-Le Jour)
Despite the cease-fire taking effect two days ago, the Israeli army continued its operations in southern Lebanon on Saturday, claiming to have established a "Yellow Line" demarcation line, similar to the one in the Gaza Strip.
"Over the past 24 hours, Israeli forces deployed south of the Yellow Line in southern Lebanon detected terrorists violating the ceasefire arrangements and approaching forces from areas north of the Yellow Line in a manner that posed an immediate threat," the Israeli army said in a statement.
"Immediately after their identification, and in order to eliminate this threat, the Air Force and ground forces engaged the terrorists in several sectors of southern Lebanon," the statement added, also mentioning "Israeli artillery fire in support of ground forces operating in the area."
The army also stated that it is acting in accordance with directives received from the Israeli government and that it "is authorized to take the necessary measures in legitimate self-defense against threats ... as actions to defend against and neutralize threats are not limited during the cease-fire period."
In the Gaza Strip, the "Yellow Line" is the name given to the demarcation line between the area controlled by Hamas and that held by the Israeli army, which represents more than 50% of this small territory after the withdrawal of Israeli troops as part of the very fragile ceasefire in effect since October 2025.
In this context, the Israeli army stated on Saturday on X that it had acted against "saboteurs who violated the cease-fire" in southern Lebanon. “Over the past 24 hours, Israeli army forces operating south of the Yellow Line in southern Lebanon detected saboteurs who violated the cease-fire and approached the area north of the Yellow Line, heading towards the forces,” wrote Avichay Adraee, the army’s Arabic-language spokesperson, on X.
“The air force and the forces conducted strikes targeting the saboteurs in several areas of southern Lebanon. Artillery fire was also carried out to support ground forces operating in the area, and terrorist infrastructure was destroyed to counter the threats,” he added.
A French peacekeeper was killed in southern Lebanon. On Saturday morning, artillery fire struck the outskirts of Kounin, a village just north of the town of Bint Jbeil, where the Israeli army has been engaged in fierce fighting against Hezbollah, according to our correspondent. Israeli machine-gun fire also targeted the town of Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil district).
Explosions caused by Israeli forces were heard in several border towns, including Taybeh, Qantara, Deir Siryan, and Khiam. An altercation broke out between residents of Gandouriyeh and members of UNIFIL, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, according to our correspondent, who reports that two peacekeepers were wounded. When contacted by our publication, UNIFIL stated that it was investigating the incident.
On Friday evening, Israeli artillery shelled Houla, in the Marjayoun district. Houla, largely destroyed by the Israelis since 2024, is located a few hundred meters from the border, within the area that Israel wants to transform into a "buffer zone."
After midnight, the Israeli army repeatedly dynamited residential neighborhoods in Khiam, Qantara (Marjayoun), Shamaa, and Naqoura (Sour), as well as Bint Jbeil. Powerful explosions were heard overnight in the regions of Sour, Nabatieh, Hasbaya, Iqlim al-Kharroub, Jezzine, and Saida.
Furthermore, UNIFIL wasthe victim of another attack in southern Lebanon on Saturday, resulting in a heavy toll: one French peacekeeper killed and three others wounded and hospitalized. President Emmanuel Macron blamed Hezbollah.
Construction of a temporary bridge over the Litani River
To facilitate the return of displaced persons, the Litani National Authority, in collaboration with the Lebanese Army's engineering department, has undertaken the construction of a movable span bridge over the river in the Tayr Filsay area (Sour), in order to "ensure the vital link between the north and south banks of the river."
"This initiative is part of a series of emergency measures adopted by the official authorities to reconnect the affected areas and guarantee the continuity of traffic, in order to meet humanitarian and economic needs during this critical period," the Authority stated. The Israeli army had bombed all the bridges connecting the south and north banks of the Litani River during its offensive in Lebanon.
Furthermore, the Zrarieh-Burj Rahal (Saida) road has reopened in both directions after having been previously closed due to damage caused by a strike on the bridge during the war.
The South Lebanon Water Authority is carrying out the necessary repairs
For its part, the South Lebanon Water Authority (ALN) sent its teams of engineers to southern Lebanon to inspect and assess the breakdowns and damage sustained by the facilities, stations, and wells, reports our correspondent. The wells in Khartoum, Marwanieh, and Kawtharia al-Sayad were inspected, and the compressor at the Nabeh al-Tasseh-Jarjouaa station was repaired. T
he ATN also began coordinating with Électricité du Liban (EDL) to address certain breakdowns related to electrical transformers and power lines.
Clearing operations also took place in the residential area of Sour, specifically in a 12-story building, where rescue teams, in cooperation with the municipality, managed to recover the body of one victim, while the search continues for eight missing people.
In this tense context, the inhabitants of border villages in southern Lebanon called in a statement on the state and the international community to put an end to Israeli bombings.
