UN Security Council to meet Monday over expanded Israeli offensive in Lebanon; Macron says 'nothing justifies' escalation | LIVE

Israeli artillery and air force continue pounding southern Lebanon

Israeli artillery shelled Touline (Marjayoun district) and Braasheet (Bint Jbeil).

Israeli warplanes also bombed Kfar Tibnit (Nabatieh).

Araghchi says talks with the US continue, declines to comment on outcome

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that talks with the United States are still ongoing and that it is “impossible to judge negotiations before a clear result is reached,” according to Reuters.

Hezbollah says it carried out 5 drone attacks near Beaufort Castle

Hezbollah said it carried out five drone attacks targeting Israeli military positions and equipment in the vicinity of Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon.

In separate statements, the group said it struck a Humvee military vehicle used as a command post with an Ababil attack drone, claiming a direct hit.

It also said it targeted two additional Humvee vehicles near the castle with Ababil drones, and in another attack struck a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the same area.

The group further said an Ababil drone hit an Israeli force positioned inside a house near the castle and targeted an Israeli electronic jamming radar, claiming both strikes were successful.

Hezbollah also said it targeted a military vehicle surrounded by soldiers in Debbine (Marjayoun) using a guided missile.

Emmanuel Macron says 'nothing justifies the major escalation underway in southern Lebanon'

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a post on his X account that “nothing justifies the major escalation underway in southern Lebanon.”

After capture of Beaufort Castle, Jean-Luc Mélenchon says France must show 'support, solidarity and compassion in the face of genocidal brutes'

La France insoumise leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon has strongly criticized the expansion of Israel’s offensive in Lebanon in a post on X, saying that France must show “support, solidarity and compassion in the face of genocidal brutes.”

Israeli strikes continue in southern Lebanon, injuring several people including a child

Three Syrian nationals, including a child, were injured in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a motorcycle in the Barak area of Addousieh, south of Saida. The injured were transferred to hospital.

A drone strike hit the town of Jibsheet (Nabatieh). One casualty was evacuated by the Al-Rissala Association.

A seventh airstrike targeted the town of Debbine (Marjayoun).

Artillery fire struck the area between Smaiyeh and Maaliyeh (Sour).

The Israeli army carried out a controlled demolition in the town of Kounine (Bint Jbeil).

An airstrike also hit the town of Abbassiyeh (Sour).

Civil Defense personnel sent to Sarafand to support logistics for southern Lebanon centers

The Directorate General of Civil Defense has asked several personnel to head to the south, in the Sarafand area (Saida district), to provide logistical support to Civil Defense centers operating across various parts of southern Lebanon, our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah reported.

The move is part of efforts to strengthen field readiness and support operational centers in order to ensure the continuity of humanitarian, rescue and emergency response services in the current situation.

Civil Defense teams are working to improve coordination and provide essential supplies and resources to centers across the south, according to the statement.

Israeli security meeting to assess situation in Lebanon

According to Israeli Channel 12, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding a security meeting this evening to assess the situation in Lebanon.

In photos: latest Israeli strike on Abbasieh

Credit: photo shared by our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah

Lebanon: UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting Monday

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday afternoon at France’s request after the Israeli army seized the medieval Beaufort Fortress in Lebanon, diplomatic sources told AFP on Sunday.

The meeting will take place immediately after another emergency session requested by Romania over a drone crash into a building in Galati, scheduled for 3 p.m. (1900 GMT), the sources added.

Israeli airstrikes and drone attacks continue in the South

Several people were reportedly injured in an Israeli drone strike targeting a motorcycle in the Barak-Addousieh area south of Saida. Three people were injured and taken to hospital.

A sixth Israeli airstrike targeted the town of Debbine in Marjayoun district, while another struck Jibsheet (Nabatieh).

Israeli warplanes also hit areas near Hiram Hospital at the junction leading to Maarakeh, in the outskirts of Sour.

One person from Halloussiyeh was killed in a drone strike targeting a motorcycle in Tayr Debba in Sour district.

Fadlallah says Beaufort Castle not used as Hezbollah military position

Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah said that Beaufort Castle is an archaeological site under the Ministry of Culture and is not used as a military position by Hezbollah.

The medieval fortress overlooking the Nabatieh region was occupied by Israel earlier in the day, according to Israeli forces.

Fadlallah rejected Israeli claims that the site has any military function, stressing that it is a national heritage site of historical and cultural importance.

He argued that presenting the fortress as a military target is misleading and “part of a broader Israeli narrative linked to the ongoing conflict in southern Lebanon,” adding that such sites should be protected as part of Lebanon’s cultural identity rather than associated with military activity.

'Who will force Israel to end its aggression?' Berri asks

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, also head of the Amal Movement allied with Hezbollah, said in an interview with NBN: “I guarantee that the resistance is fully committed, without reservation and without delay, to a cease-fire. But the question is: who will force Israel to end its aggression by land, sea and air, and to stop demolishing villages and houses?”

More than 3,400 people killed since the start of the conflict in Lebanon

The Health Ministry reported in its latest toll that Israeli strikes have killed 3,412 people and wounded 10,269 since the war between Hezbollah and Israel started on March 2.

65 Israeli airstrikes target southern Lebanon since midnight; Hezbollah launches 9 attacks

From midnight until 6 p.m. today, Israeli warplanes carried out 65 airstrikes targeting 35 towns and villages across southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah.

Israeli drones also carried out 13 strikes on sites in 10 different localities.

Hezbollah retaliated with nine attacks so far.

Israeli strikes continue across southern districts

According to the Al-Rissala Association, a drone fired a warning missile at Sarafand. A vehicle in the area was damaged without being directly targeted. The surrounding neighborhood was evacuated, our correspondent in southern Lebanon reported.

An airstrike hit Kfar Sir (Nabatieh), while another targeted Blat (Marjayoun).

Seven airstrikes targeted Majdal Zoun (Sour) today, with the latest one occurring just moments before this update.

Iran has reportedly reopened most entrances to underground missile facilities, according to CNN

Iran is reportedly in a position to fire significantly more long-range missiles at Israel and other countries in the Middle East after quickly clearing access to its underground missile stockpiles — an effort that highlights the limits of the U.S. bombing strategy, according to experts cited by CNN and satellite imagery analyzed by the network’s journalists.

While for several weeks U.S. and Israeli strikes had restricted Iran’s access to its underground missile sites by destroying roads and burying tunnel entrances, satellite images show Iran has used basic equipment such as bulldozers and dump trucks to reverse those efforts, suggesting that its missile capabilities cannot be eliminated by targeting tunnel entrances alone.

In the event of renewed hostilities, Iran would be able to “continue launching missiles as long as it has launchers and crews, even if production has been interrupted,” said Sam Lair, an associate researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, who analyzes Iran’s ballistic capabilities. “Nothing prevents launchers from being armed with the vast stockpile of missiles still held by the Iranians.”

At a missile base in Dezful, Iran, four out of five entrances to an underground facility were seen reopened as of May 12. The grey-marked entrance is the only one still blocked.

CNN found that Iran has now reopened 50 of the 69 tunnel entrances struck by the United States and Israel across 18 underground missile facilities.

Iran has also repaired other parts of the bases, including roads bombed by the United States and Israel to prevent missile launchers from using them. Satellite images show that nearly all of these craters have now been filled in and, at two sites, even resurfaced.

Hezbollah supporters gather in Beirut’s Martyrs’ Square against state authorities

(Credit: Screenshot from a video sent by our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah/ OLJ)

Hezbollah supporters gathered on Sunday afternoon in Martyrs’ Square in Beirut for a sit-in criticizing Lebanon’s political leadership and state institutions, accusing them of failing to protect the country and its citizens, according to our correspondent.

Protesters carried Hezbollah flags, Lebanese flags, and banners bearing the image of former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. Speakers denounced what they described as official inaction in the face of Israeli attacks and called for greater popular mobilization against authorities.

Israeli artillery fire targets towns in Jezzine district, airstrikes hit villages in Marjayoun

Israeli artillery fire targeted the outskirts of Qatrani, Shbeil and Srira in the Jezzine district, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon, Muntasser Abdallah.

An Israeli airstrike hit the outskirts of Ibl al-Saqi, while another targeted Debbine (both in Marjayoun district).

Hezbollah targets Israeli artillery position in Odaisseh and soldiers in Metula

Hezbollah said it launched a salvo of rockets at a newly deployed Israeli artillery position in the town of Odaisseh (Marjayoun).

Israel 'inclined to approve major strikes across Lebanon,' Israeli Channel 14 reports

Israeli Channel 14 reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz “are inclined to approve major strikes across Lebanon, including evacuation warnings affecting hundreds of thousands of Lebanese.”

Israeli airstrikes, drone attacks and house demolitions continue in southern Lebanon

Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes targeting Majdal Zoun and Siddiqine (Sour district), Kfar Joz (Nabatieh) and the city of Nabatieh.

The Israeli army also carried out a demolition operation of houses in the main square of Debbine (Marjayoun).

A drone strike targeted a motorcycle in Haris (Bint Jbeil), while another drone strike hit a motorcycle at the Sharnieh crossroads (Sour).

Barrot informs Rajji of French decision to convene emergency UN Security Council meeting

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot informed Foreign Minister Joe Rajji that France will request an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council due to the ongoing Israeli escalation in Lebanon, the expansion of military operations, and evacuation orders, according to a statement.

Barrot reaffirmed France’s solidarity with Lebanon and its firm commitment to respecting its full sovereignty. He also stressed Paris’s support for direct negotiations as the only way to reach a lasting and stable solution to the crisis.

IRGC targets 'separatist groups' in northern Iraq, state media says

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted “separatist groups” in several areas of northern Iraq, Iranian state media reported on Sunday, according to Reuters.

Photo: Israeli strike on Nabatieh on May 31, 2026

(Credit: Mohammad Yassin/ OLJ)

IRGC says it shot down U.S. drone

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic, said on Sunday that they had shot down a U.S. MQ-1 drone that was allegedly preparing to enter Iranian territorial waters to carry out “hostile operations.”

The U.S. military has not commented.

Bekaa governor calls for more shelters to be opened after evacuation orders for Sohmor and other West Bekaa villages

Bekaa Governor Judge Kamal Abu Jaoudeh issued an urgent appeal for the opening of additional shelters for displaced residents in West Bekaa.

“Following the latest threats by the Israeli enemy against the town of Sohmor, its residents and a number of villages in West Bekaa, and after evacuation orders were issued to them, a crisis has emerged regarding the availability of additional centers to accommodate displaced people from the area,” Abu Jaoudeh said in a statement.

He stressed the need for shelters to be located within West Bekaa to enable the relevant authorities to monitor the situation of displaced residents and carry out their assistance efforts effectively.

Israel strikes near Jabal Amel Hospital outside Sour

Israeli warplanes carried out an airstrike targeting an area near Sour, close to Jabal Amel Hospital.

The Israeli army also bombed, for the fourth time, an area in Sour that had already been struck earlier in the day.

Israel strikes eastern mountain range near Nabi Sheet in the Bekaa

A drone strike targeted the eastern mountain range near Nabi Sheet in the Bekaa, our correspondent in the region reported.

Israel continues to strike homes in southern Lebanon, including in Saida district

An Israeli airstrike hit a house in the town of Bablieh (Saida), while another strike targeted Toul (Marjayoun).

Warplanes also carried out a new strikes, once again striking residential buildings in Ghassanieh (Saida district).

Intense Israeli air activity has been reported over Sour, Nabatieh, Zahrani and Saida.

In video: Evacuation calls for a village in Sour district broadcast from mosque's loudspeakers

Emergency teams responding to an Israeli airstrike on Sour

Repeated sirens triggered in northern Israel

A projectile is intercepted over Lebanon, seen from the Israeli side of the border, May 31, 2026. (Credit: Amir Cohen / Reuters)

Sirens have been triggered repeatedly in northern Israel since early afternoon, according to the Israeli army, which said in separate statements on X that sirens were activated multiple times following missile or drone incursions launched from Lebanon.

According to the army’s statements:

At 12:54 and 13:05, alerts were triggered in several areas in northern Israel. The air force intercepted several projectiles launched from Lebanon toward Israeli territory, while another projectile landed in an open area in line with instructions.

At 14:05, following alerts about the infiltration of a hostile aircraft in several areas in northern Israel, the fall of a suspected aerial target was identified near the Lebanese border. No injuries were reported, and the incident is under investigation.

At 14:19, the air force intercepted several targets launched from Lebanese territory toward Israel.

Recent Israeli airstrikes on Sour destroy several buildings and cause multiple casualties

Recent Israeli bombardments on Sour are among the most intense to hit the city. Several buildings in the city center were completely destroyed, with multiple casualties reported, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

Rescue teams and emergency services are continuing operations under difficult conditions due to the scale of the destruction.

Israel bombed the same area for a second time shortly after the initial strike.

Israeli strike near hospital in southern Lebanon injures 13 staff, Lebanese Health Ministry says

The Emergency Operations Center of the Health Ministry said that a raid near al-Hiram Hospital in Sour injured 13 staff members at the facility and caused severe damage to the building.

Israeli strikes in the South have already killed more than 150 people and wounded over 300 among health and rescue workers since March 2.

In photos: two missiles strike a building in the center of Sour

(Credit: Photo shared by our correspondent Mountasser Abdallah )

An hour ago, the Israeli army said on X that it was bombing a Hezbollah headquarters in Sour, without providing further details to support the claim, but publishing a video of the strike.

Hezbollah targets Israeli force in Yohmor al-Shaqif

Hezbollah said it targeted an Israeli force on the eastern outskirts of Yohmor al-Shaqif (Nabatieh) using an "Ababil" drone attack.

Netanyahu says capture of Beaufort Castle marks 'dramatic shift' in Israel’s policy against Hezbollah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday in a statement that the Israeli army’s capture of Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon marks a “dramatic shift” in Israel’s policy against Hezbollah, as well as an expansion of Israeli control over areas north of the Litani River, according to remarks relayed by Israeli media.

“We have returned to Beaufort stronger than ever. Since the beginning of the Resurrection War [Israel’s name for the war since Oct. 7, 2023], we have eliminated 8,000 Hezbollah fighters; since Operation Lion’s Roar [the campaign launched against Iran and Hezbollah starting Feb.28], we have eliminated 3,000, and 700 in just the past month,” the prime minister said.

He said he had “ordered the Israeli army to expand the maneuver in Lebanon. Our forces crossed the Litani. They took command positions. They captured the Beaufort ridge.”

“We will restore security to residents of the north, as we did for residents of the south. It will take time, but we will complete the mission,” he added.

Israeli airstrikes and artillery target southern Lebanon

• Israeli artillery fire targeted the city of Nabatieh.
• Warplanes carried out strikes on Zrariyeh, Ansar and Deir al-Zahrani in Nabatieh district.

Iran will not approve any deal with Washington without guarantees on its rights, says Ghalibaf

Iran will not approve any agreement with the United States as long as its rights are not fully guaranteed, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.

“We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been fully guaranteed,” Ghalibaf said in a video broadcast by state television.

France calls for 'urgent meeting' of UN Security Council on Lebanon, says Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot

Israeli strikes continue across southern Lebanon, killing civilians

The latest airstrike on Marwanieh (Saida district) targeted a house in the village, causing several injuries.

A drone strike at the Zibdin crossroads (Nabatieh) killed one person and wounded another. Froun, also in Nabatieh district, was also shelled.

Loubiyeh and Sarafand receive Israeli calls ordering evacuation

The municipality of Loubieh (Nabatieh) said in a statement that its mayor received Israeli threats by phone targeting the town, ordering residents to evacuate their homes.

“As a result, we ask all residents to exercise the utmost caution and treat this warning with the highest level of seriousness, for everyone’s safety,” the municipality added.

The Lebanese Civil Defense center in Sarafand (Saida) also received a similar call.

Civil Defense teams are moving to evacuate residents from villages receiving Israeli warnings and threats, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

Residents were urged to take the warning seriously and move to the nearest safe area until the threat ends, to fully close shops, businesses, restaurants and cafés, to drive only in emergencies, to clear vehicles parked along roads to allow ambulance access, and not to approach strike sites or hospital emergency entrances.

Marjayoun faces risk of fuel shortages

In a statement to Al-Jadeed, the head of the Marjayoun municipality said the town is not yet facing shortages of bread or basic food supplies, but could experience a fuel shortage in the coming days.

He added that the road linking Marjayoun to Khardali remains open, but that movement along it carries significant risks.

Israel strikes targets in Bint Jbeil, Nabatieh and Saida districts

Artillery fire targeted the town of Khirbet Silm in Bint Jbeil district.

Warplanes carried out an airstrike on Deir al-Zahrani (Nabatieh) as well as Marwanieh (Saida). Explosions were also heard in other areas of Saida district.

Another airstrike hit Nabatieh Fawqa in Nabatieh district.

Hezbollah targets Israeli soldiers and positions in Bayyada and northern Israel

Hezbollah said it targeted a gathering of Israeli military vehicles and soldiers in the village of Bayyada (Sour) with a rocket barrage.

It also said it struck Israeli army infrastructure in Nahariya in northern Israel with rocket fire, and targeted a gathering of soldiers on a helicopter landing platform in Shlomi using an attack drone.

Civil Defense receives Israeli call to evacuate Sohmor

The Lebanese Civil Defense center in Sohmor (West Bekaa) said it received a call from the Israeli army ordering the evacuation of the entire town, without explanation or justification, according to our correspondent in the Bekaa.

Strait of Hormuz: Tehran says 28 ships passed through

Ships anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, seen from Musandam, Oman, May 30, 2026. (Credit: Reuters)

Although Tehran and Washington have yet to reach an agreement to end the war ongoing since Feb. 28, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Navy said that 28 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours, according to Iranian state media cited by Reuters.

Separately, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday on X that “U.S. forces operating in the Gulf of Oman enforced blockade measures by disabling a Gambia-flagged maritime vessel attempting to sail toward an Iranian port, May 29.”

Netanyahu government seeking to extend the mobilization of reservists until July 31

Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the government of Benjamin Netanyahu plans to request an extension of the call-up of reserve forces until July 31.

Sour, Bint Jbeil and Nabatieh districts under Israeli fire

Several Israeli airstrikes targeted the districts of Sour, Bint Jbeil and Nabatieh, while the Israeli army said it intercepted rockets fired from Lebanon.

Four Israeli airstrikes hit the northern neighborhoods of Sour, near the vicinity of Hiram Hospital and the Maarakeh crossroads.

Another airstrike targeted the town of Burj Qalaway (Bint Jbeil) in two successive waves.

A separate strike hit the outskirts of Yohmor al-Shaqif (Nabatieh).

For its part, the Israeli army said it intercepted rockets fired from Lebanon after sirens were activated earlier on Sunday morning.

Israeli strikes intensify across Nabatieh district, with multiple killed and wounded reported in several attacks

Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes targeting the heights of Ali al-Taher in the Nabatieh region.

A drone strike hit the town of Habboush (Nabatieh), killing a man identified as Ali Makki.

Other airstrikes were reported in Qseibeh in the Nabatieh district, killing one man. Two Syrian nationals were also killed in a drone strike that targeted their motorcycle earlier in the morning in Qseibeh.

A drone strike targeted the town of Sharqieh, killing a man identified as Jawad Mohammad.

A drone strike also hit a motorcycle on the Qseibeh–Nabatieh road, injuring two people.

After 6 a.m., an airstrike hit a house in the town of Arab Salim. Strikes also targeted Kfar Tibnit, Shukin, Yohmor al-Shaqif and Arnoun. Another airstrike hit the area between Nabatieh Fawqa and Kfar Tibnit.

The death toll from overnight and early morning airstrikes on Deir al-Zahrani has risen to at least four killed and 20 injured.

Israel struck 45 towns in southern Lebanon on Saturday; Hezbollah carried out 24 attacks against Israeli targets in southern and northern Israel

Field data indicates that Israeli warplanes struck 45 towns in southern Lebanon. Drones targeted 14 sites across 14 different towns. 38 towns were subjected to heavy artillery shelling, in some cases with phosphorus shells. The Israeli army also demolished two houses in two separate towns.

Hezbollah, meanwhile, said it carried out 24 attacks against Israeli targets in occupied Lebanese territory and inside Israel. The most significant attack targeted Safed, about 29 kilometers from the Lebanese border, and Kiryat Shmona, about 8 kilometers from the border.

Hezbollah MP Ali Fayad says lack of results in Washington talks proves 'the failure of betting on direct negotiations with the enemy'

Hezbollah MP Ali Fayad said on Sunday that the absence of concrete results from direct discussions between Lebanon and Israel in Washington proves the “failure of betting on direct negotiations with the enemy.”

“The unsuccessful outcomes of the security-track meetings at the Pentagon, in which the political authority involved the Lebanese Army, confirm the failure of betting on direct negotiations with the enemy to achieve any of Lebanon’s demands, starting with a full and comprehensive ceasefire,” the MP said during a commemorative ceremony held by Hezbollah in honor of a group of “martyrs of the Islamic Resistance” from the village of Houla.

“Continuing negotiations amid the campaign of extermination and destruction in the South and the horrific massacres against civilians amounts to indirect cover for these Israeli practices,” he added.

“The option of concessions and submission has failed, and the authorities must change strategy by moving toward another path based on rallying Lebanese around a unifying national choice in the face of Israeli brutality, which no longer threatens only the geography of the South and the Shiite demographic, but the Lebanese entity as a whole,” he said.

Lebanese-Israeli military-level talks were held on Friday at the Pentagon under U.S. sponsorship, without achieving any progress.

Photo of damage caused by an Israeli strike that hit Deir Qanoun al-Nahr overnight

(Credit: photo shared with Mountasser Abdallah/ OLJ)

Israeli threat reported in a village in Saida district

The volunteer center of the al-Rissala Scouts Association in Saida said that former members of the municipal council and the mukhtar received a phone call warning of an Israeli threat targeting the village of Arzay, according to a statement.

“As a result, we call on all residents to exercise the utmost caution and treat this warning with the highest level of seriousness in order to ensure everyone’s safety,” the statement added.

The al-Rissala Scouts Association is affiliated with the Amal Movement.

Civil Defense center in Sour received an Israeli call ordering the evacuation of Burj al-Shemali

The Civil Defense center in Sour received a call from Israel ordering residents of Burj al-Shemali to immediately evacuate the town and move to areas north of the Zahrani River for their safety, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

Israeli army says another soldier killed in south Lebanon

The Israeli army said in a post on X that a Hezbollah explosive drone killed one of its soldiers. The 21-year-old soldier had immigrated from Ukraine in 2020, the army added.

The death of an Israeli soldier two weeks ago triggered a wave of reactions in Israel, some of them highly disproportionate.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a prominent far-right figure called for Israel to "destroy one hundred buildings" in Lebanon for every drone that strikes a soldier.

Israeli army claims large-scale operation in Shebaa Hills and Wadi Slouki area

The new Israeli evacuation order was issued following a large-scale operation in the Shebaa Hills and the Wadi Slouki area in southern Lebanon, according to another statement by Israeli army Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee.

"The operation began several days ago with large ground forces, including the Golani Brigade, the 7th Brigade, the Givati Brigade, the Fire Brigade, and the Multidimensional Unit, operating under the command of the 36th Division and with intelligence support from the Military Intelligence Directorate," he wrote in a statement on X.

Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir approved the operation.

Katz says Israeli army captured medieval Beaufort fortress in southern Lebanon

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed that the Israeli army had captured the medieval Beaufort fortress in southern Lebanon, where it has expanded operations against Hezbollah and Lebanon.

Israeli forces used Beaufort as a base during their occupation of southern Lebanon, which lasted two decades before ending in 2000. The site overlooks vast areas of southern Lebanon.

"Forty-four years after the heroic Battle of Beaufort, and on this day commemorating the soldiers who fell in the First Lebanon War (1982), troops returned to the summit of Beaufort and once again raised the Israeli flag there," Katz said.

AFP footage showed the Israeli flag flying over the fortress on Sunday morning.

Read Mounir Rabih's update on the situation

Israeli army issues new mass evacuation order for all residents south of the Zahrani River

The Israeli army ordered residents living south of the Zahrani River to evacuate immediately, through its Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee.

The Zahrani River begins in the highlands of Jezzine and flows into the Mediterranean south of Saida, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Lebanon's southern border.

"For your safety, we call on all residents located south of the Zahrani River — in accordance with the area shown on the map — to evacuate their homes immediately," Adraee wrote on X.

Israel is imposing a "buffer zone" covering more than 600 square kilometers (230 square miles) of Lebanese territory, where it has systematically demolished villages and infrastructure.

Israel's far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said Monday that Israel should occupy a large area of Lebanon extending to the Zahrani River — roughly four times farther north than the most recent advances reported by the Israeli army.

Good morning, and thank you for joining us for today's live coverage of the Israeli war and occupation in south Lebanon, cease-fire talks between Iran, the U.S., Israel, and Lebanon, and the events in the region.