Rescuers examine an area affected by an Israeli strike near Habboush on Friday, May 1, 2026. Photo sent to our correspondent in southern Lebanon. (Credit: Muntasser Abdallah)
After a particularly violent day, the Israeli army continued its deadly escalation in southern Lebanon on Friday. It especially focused its attacks on the locality of Habboush, near Nabatieh, soon after forcing all residents to evacuate the area.
Its powerful strikes killed at least six people and hit a residential building, a supermarket and several homes, according to the vice president of the municipal council, Hussein Traboulsi, who spoke to our southern Lebanon correspondent. All rescue teams deployed in the village had to leave, due to attempts by Israeli army drones to target them.
In the afternoon, Israeli forces carried out an initial strike on Habboush shortly before issuing threats. "Following cease-fire violations by Hezbollah, the Israeli army is being forced to act with force and does not intend to target you," read the message sent to residents, obliging them to keep at least 1,000 meters away from the village. Shortly after, Israel launched its deadly series of strikes.
Demolition of convent and school in Yaroun
In addition to these bombings on Habboush, the Israeli army killed four members of the same family in Zrarieh (Saida). The raid hit two houses belonging to two brothers of the Mroueh family and resulted in at least four deaths, according to local head Zahra Mroueh, who spoke with our southern Lebanon correspondent.
The victims were a father, Abbas Mroueh, his two children (a son and a daughter), and his brother’s wife. The local official added that the wife of the father was seriously injured while she was near the house at the time of the strike.
The Israeli army also carried out two targeted drone strikes in Burj Qalaway (Bint Jbeil district) and between Qana and Hanaway, killing two people, as well as a woman in Ain Baal, in the Sour district. In Toul, also in the Nabatieh district, a young woman, Zeinab Hassan Fohs (23), died during the day from injuries sustained in the Israeli strike that killed her brother and wounded her father the day before. More generally, the Israeli army continued its strikes on various districts of southern Lebanon. In the morning, it had carried out artillery fire across all three sectors of the border area.
The army also carried out significant demolitions in southern Lebanon. In Shamaa (Sour district), after detonating several houses in the morning, the Israeli army proceeded with a large explosion in the afternoon, with blasts heard as far as the city of Sour and throughout the entire district, according to our correspondent.
It occurred on the hill that houses what remains of the maqam of Shmoun as-Safa, as well as the historic fortress of Shamaa. The maqam had been hit by the Israeli army on April 12.
In Yaroun (Bint Jbeil district), the Israeli army demolished the convent and school of the Sisters of the Holy Savior.
The village has been largely destroyed since the last war between Hezbollah and Israel in autumn 2024.
Attacks on Israeli army vehicles
For its part, Hezbollah continued its attacks on Israeli soldiers and army vehicles operating in southern Lebanon, although at a reduced level compared to before the Lebanon-Israel cease-fire of April 17.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for several attacks against the Israeli army, including three in Bayyada on the coast south of Sour, particularly with exploding drones. One of these attacks forced soldiers to evacuate their wounded. Others took place in Bint Jbeil, Houla, Taybeh (Marjayoun) and Rshaf (Bint Jbeil), according to the movement.
The Israeli army, for its part, reported in the morning a rocket and a booby-trapped drone landing near a zone where its soldiers operate in southern Lebanon, "causing no casualties." Later, Israel's Channel 12 reported that two soldiers were "slightly wounded" following the explosion of a drone in southern Lebanon.
