A blasting in Haddatha, in the Bint Jbeil district of South Lebanon, on the night of July 4 to 5, 2026. (Credit: Photo shared by Muntasser Abdallah)
SOUTH LEBANON — The Israeli army said Saturday it had killed an armed fighter in the area it occupies in southern Lebanon.
Soldiers "identified an armed terrorist operating inside the security zone, in the Majdal Zoun sector," the army said in a statement. Israel calls the "security zone" the buffer area it has unilaterally established over more than 600 square kilometers of Lebanese territory, along the border.
The army specified that after inspecting the area, the troops "opened fire" and "eliminated" the man. It did not immediately specify whether he belonged to Hezbollah.
According to our correspondent in south Lebanon, Israeli army helicopters conducted attacks on Majdal Zoun twice since last night: once around 6 p.m. with machine guns, and a second time, around 10 p.m., with several missiles. No information was immediately available regarding casualties.
Since Saturday night, many other Israeli raids and attacks were reported as well as several demolitions. Explosions were recorded in Talloussa, in the Marjeyoun district, as well as in Kounin, Haddatha, Bint Jbeil, Tiri and Beit Yahoun, in the Bint Jbeil district. Israeli military vehicles had previously entered Beit Yahoun under heavy machine-gun fire, but it was not possible to determine whether it was a sweeping operation or clashes.
Around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, a drone also dropped a bomb toward a house in the Mshaa al-Mansouri neighborhood, in Mansouri (Sour), without causing any casualties.
Israeli forces also launched flares over Kfar Shuba. They also fired medium machine guns on Zawtar Gharbieh and Zawtar Sharqieh (Nabatieh district), and toward Markaba (Marjayoun district).
Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into war on March 2 by attacking Israel to "avenge" the death of the Iranian supreme leader, killed during joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran on Feb. 28.
Israel responded with a wide campaign of bombings and a ground offensive, as well as repeated calls for the evacuation of vast areas of southern Lebanon, over more than three months of fighting. Israeli attacks killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon.
The memorandum of understanding signed June 17 between Tehran and Washington enabled a fragile cease-fire in Lebanon starting June 21, before the June 26 signing of a framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel for a "lasting peace." Israel announced it would keep its troops in the area, which could extend up to ten kilometers from its border, and continues its strikes daily.
Reporting contributed by our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah.
