Israel continues deadly strikes on southern Lebanon, Bekaa; advances toward Nabatieh Fawqa

BEIRUT — At least seven people have been killed since Thursday morning in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa, where Israeli bombardments have continued relentlessly throughout the day and night, despite calls for de-escalation and the new cease-fire agreement announced June 3 in Washington.

An initial Israeli drone strike killed a motorcycle rider Thursday morning in Habboush (Nabatieh). Overnight, a man succumbed to his injuries following an Israeli airstrike in Shaqra (Bint Jbeil), according to our southern Lebanon correspondent. Two additional fatalities were also reported in another drone strike in Deir Qanoun al-Nahr (Sour), while another person was killed in a raid on Abbassieh (Sour).

In West Bekaa, a man was also killed by an Israeli airstrike in Sohmor before a Syrian woman was killed and her father injured in the Mashghara plain, which was bombarded five times, according to our correspondent in the Bekaa.

Additionally, since last night, Israeli aircraft have bombed the localities of Abbassieh, Mansouri, Tayr Debba, Majdal Zoun, Deir Kifa, Jwayya (Sour), Shoukin, Habboush, Kfar Joz, Kfar Tibnit (Nabatieh), Sowaneh (Marjayoun), Khirbet Selm and Burj Qalaway (Bint Jbeil), and Wadi Borghoz (Hasbaya). No fewer than 15 rockets also targeted the village of Qatrani (Jezzine).

A drone strike targeted Shehabieh (Sour), near a team from the Islamic Health Committee. In addition, artillery fire targeted the city of Nabatieh and its suburbs, Nabatieh Fawqa and Kfar Roummane, as well as the Wadi Zibqine valley and the localities of Hanieh, Srifa (Sour), Burj Qalaway (Bint Jbeil), Touline (Marjayoun) and Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya).

New Israeli advances toward Nabatieh

On the ground, another attempted advance was launched overnight by the Israeli army toward the outskirts of Nabatieh. Having crossed the Litani River several weeks ago, where occupying forces have already taken the villages of Zawatar al-Sharqieh, Arnoun and Yohmor al-Shaqif, and Beaufort Castle, they are now continuing their invasion toward the hill of Ali Taher, Kfar Tibnit and Nabatieh Fawqa.

According to local sources, Israeli troops were stalled in their progress after coming under rocket fire from Hezbollah fighters.

Meanwhile, the militia claimed several rocket and drone attacks on Israeli troops positioned in villages it occupies in southern Lebanon. Its fighters launched two rocket salvos at Israeli troops and vehicles in the village of Tayr Harfa (Sour), as well as one exploding drone at a Merkava tank in Deir Siryan (Marjayoun) and another in Bint Jbeil. They also launched two other drones at a new Israeli artillery position and an ammunition resupply vehicle in Adaisseh (Marjayoun), and fired a surface-to-air missile at an Israeli drone over Iqlim al-Tuffah (Jezzine district).

Hezbollah fires at Israeli base south of the Blue Line

In a rare move in recent days, the group said it had launched several drones at the Israeli position known as "Nemer al-Jamal," newly established south of the Blue Line, facing the Lebanese village of Alma al-Shaab (Sour). This is the first attack claimed by the militia against a target in northern Israel in several days, prompting a response from Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Saar. "Last night and again this morning, Hezbollah launched drones against Israel from Lebanon, in blatant violation of the cease-fire," he said on X.

What the Israeli minister means by "cease-fire" is the new arrangement put in place by Israel, which abstains from bombing the southern suburbs of Beirut in exchange for halting Hezbollah attacks on northern Israeli territory. However, the new truce agreement announced after the fourth round of Lebanese-Israeli-American negotiations in Washington on June 3 has in no way stopped Israeli bombardments in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa, which continue daily.

The Health Ministry announced Wednesday that it had recorded 30 additional deaths and 82 wounded in the past 24 hours, bringing the toll from Israeli bombardments since war resumed in Lebanon on March 2 to at least 3,696 killed and 11,403 wounded.

Reporting by our correspondent in the South, Muntasser Abdallah, and in the Bekaa, Sara Abdallah