A man walks on rubble at the site an Israeli strike in Sour, Lebanon, June 12, 2026. (Credit: Aziz Taher/Reuters)
SOUTH LEBANON — After having focused its airstrikes in previous days on the districts of Sour and Nabatieh, the Israeli military appeared on Friday to be concentrating its offensive on the Saida region and the Zahrani River.
In the early afternoon, through its Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee on the X platform, it issued an evacuation order to residents of three villages in the district: Sarafand, Tefahta, and Mazraat Sinay, in anticipation of upcoming bombings. In its message, the Israeli military claimed to be targeting Hezbollah before ordering residents to take refuge north of the Zahrani River, which is located south of the city of Saida, the district center.
The municipality of Sarafand immediately called on residents to evacuate and "go to the nearest safe zone until the threat is gone." Residents of Qaqaaiyet al-Sanawbar (Saida) also evacuated the Baqbish neighborhood at first, after one of them received a phone call ordering him to evacuate his home, our correspondent in the south, reported. A second call then ordered the evacuation of the entire town.
A complete disarmament of Hezbollah unrealistic, according to the Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post reports in this context that the Israeli army is considering pushing Hezbollah beyond the Zahrani River.
The idea of a complete disarmament of Hezbollah is considered unrealistic by anonymous defense officials cited by the newspaper. They suggest that if Hezbollah could be pushed not only beyond the Litani River, but also as far as the Zahrani River, south of Saida, the volume of threats to northern Israeli villages would be significantly reduced.
The Zahrani River is about six kilometers from Israeli positions, while Nabatieh is about three kilometers away. Hezbollah is said to be concerned about a possible advance by the Israeli army and has reinforced these areas, according to the Israeli daily.
These evacuation orders north of the Zahrani come amid persistent talk of a possible agreement between the United States and Iran.
According to Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah, such an arrangement "will have direct repercussions on Lebanon, whether the Lebanese authorities accept it or not." Conversely, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Tehran of seeking to show that "the final decision-making power in Lebanon remains in its hands," in an interview with the British daily Times.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military continued its air, drone, and artillery strikes on villages in the cazas of Sour and Nabatieh in particular, despite a decrease in intensity last night, our correspondent reports. The morning was marked by drone strikes in Jebsheet (Nabatieh), in the Abattoirs neighborhood of Nabatieh, and in Bayyad, near Deir Aames (Sour).
Israeli warplanes also bombed the outskirts of Arnoun and Kfar Tibnit (Nabatieh), as well as Burj Qalaway, Deir Ntar (Bint Jbeil), and Majdal Zoun (Sour). In particular, a house in Bayyada (Sour) was hit, causing minor injuries; the wounded were quickly evacuated by rescuers.
An explosion occurred in the vicinity of Birket al-Dardara in Khiam (Marjeyoun), where there are homes and leisure facilities. Artillery fire also targeted the locality of Bouyout al-Sayyad (Sour), the outskirts of Blat (Marjayoun), and the peripheries of Kfar Tibnit and Shoukin (Nabatieh).
In the afternoon, airstrikes hit the bed of the Khardali River. This river runs between the cazas of Nabatieh and Marjayoun. A drone strike hit Shehabieh twice (Sour), from where two wounded people were evacuated. Israeli warplanes also bombed Nabatieh al-Fawqa.
For its part, Hezbollah said it attacked Israeli soldiers and vehicles in Shamaa last night, using successive salvos of rockets and artillery shells. It also claimed Ababil drone strikes on an Israeli military vehicle in Tayr Harfa (Sour), and on Israeli units entrenched in a building in Shamaa, in the same district.
The Israeli army meanwhile said it shot down a drone launched from Lebanon toward Israeli territory.
