A man standing in front of the rubble of a pulverized building in the city of Nabatieh, on June 21, 2026. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient-Le Jour)
BEIRUT — For the first time since the war between Hezbollah and Israel began 110 days ago, calm prevails in southern Lebanon, while talks between the U.S. and Iran are scheduled for Sunday in Switzerland.
From around 4 p.m. Saturday until Sunday morning, no airstrikes, artillery fire, or other notable violations were reported, according to our correspondent in the region. Only a few drones were flying at high altitude over certain localities in the South.
However, residents in southern Lebanon remain cautious and are waiting to see if Israeli attacks will resume. Saturday's offensive left between 40 and 45 people dead in the South, according to a still provisional toll. The city of Nabatieh and several villages issued statements in the evening advising displaced residents not to rush back home.
Until 4 p.m. Saturday, the south had been bombed 97 times, with 42 villages targeted, mainly in Nabatihe and surrounding areas, as well as on the heights of Rihan in the Jezzine district. At the same time, Hezbollah did not claim any military operations against Israeli forces.
The lull in southern Lebanon also extends to the area leading to the Ali al-Taher hill, south of Nabatieh, the main battleground in recent weeks. The situation on the ground appears to be frozen, and no military activity has been observed in the area. Israel wants to take this hill, accusing Hezbollah of having significant military infrastructure, an arsenal and underground networks there. These heights also overlook the entire area.
On Saturday, before hostilities ceased, intense fighting took place in this area, while Israeli warplanes pounded the heights of Rihan in the Jezzine district, which are considered to be support positions for the defense of the Ali al-Taher hills, according to our correspondent.
Meanwhile, a team from the al-Rissala rescue service, affiliated with the Amal movement, said they recovered a body from the rubble of a building in the town of Nabatiyeh el-Fawqa. The body of this person, who was killed during an Israeli bombardment, was transported to the Najdeh Hospital of the Lebanese Popular Relief, located at the entrance to the town.
Lebanon is at the center of negotiations in Switzerland, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Its spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, said that the United States has not been able to guarantee respect for the cease-fire in Lebanon and that this issue will be at the heart of the talks.
