The village of Kfar Tibnit in the Nabatieh district of southern Lebanon after an Israeli bombardment, June 3, 2026. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient-Le Jour)
BEIRUT — The Israeli army made ground advances in southern Lebanon on Thursday. Starting Wednesday night, it launched a new offensive toward the outskirts of Nabatieh, heading toward Ali Taher Hill, Kfar Tibnit, and Nabatieh Fawqa, reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
According to local sources, Israeli troops were halted in their advance in the Nabatieh district, where they had notably seized Beaufort Castle in recent weeks, after being targeted by rockets fired by Hezbollah militants.
In another area, the Israeli army claimed to have established "operational control over the northern part of the Wadi Slouki area," a strategic valley that connects villages and towns in the central, eastern, and western sectors of southern Lebanon.
Israeli strike near Hiram Hospital in Sour
Alongside these significant advances on the ground, the Israeli army continued its deadly bombing and raids in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. In particular, it carried out a strike near Hiram Hospital in Sour, wounding ten staff members and causing material damage. However, the hospital remains operational, its director told our correspondent in the region.
The deadly attacks began on Thursday morning.
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.
In the afternoon, the Israeli army carried out another deadly strike on the city of Mashghara, killing at least one person. The strikes continued throughout the day, primarily in the districts of Sour and Nabatieh, where artillery fire targeted the city of Nabatieh and its suburbs, Nabatieh Fawqa, Kfar Roummane, as well as the Wadi Zibqine valley, and the towns of Hanieh, Srifa (Sour), Burj Qalaway (Bint Jbeil), Touline (Marjayoun), and Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya). In addition, at least 15 rockets were fired at the village of Qatrani (Jezzine).
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
