View of the village of Rmeish, in the Bint Jbeil district of southern Lebanon, Nov. 16, 2025. (Credit: Téa Ziade/L'Orient-Le Jour)
BEIRUT — The Israeli army carried out several movements Friday beyond the "buffer zone" it has unilaterally established in southern Lebanon, including an unprecedented advance into Mansouri, in the Sour district, as signs continue to point to a prolonged Israeli occupation.
An Israeli army remote-controlled vehicle advanced Friday afternoon to the edge of a Lebanese Army checkpoint in the village of Mansouri before withdrawing.
The vehicle set out from the occupied coastal village of Bayyada and traveled along the coastal road, passing the entrance to Mansouri by about 150 meters — more than 8 kilometers from the nearest point on the Blue Line — before stopping in front of the Lebanese Army checkpoint.
A photo obtained by L'Orient Today shows the vehicle facing Lebanese soldiers. According to local sources, this is the first time an Israeli army vehicle has reached this point and come face to face with a Lebanese Army checkpoint.
The vehicle later withdrew and repositioned toward Byout al-Sayyed, south of the village.
Most of Mansouri was largely destroyed by the Israeli army. Less than a week ago, the army dropped leaflets over the village ordering residents who had returned since mid-June to leave.
In addition to the movement along the coast, Israeli military vehicles were seen late Friday morning traveling between Haddatha and Haris, in the Bint Jbeil district.
Haris, which lies outside the "buffer zone" unilaterally established by Israel and just north of Haddatha, which Israeli troops control, also came under automatic gunfire for nearly 30 minutes late Thursday night, frightening residents.
Israeli drone strike and gunfire in Bint Jbeil district
The Israeli army also continued its attacks across southern Lebanon on Friday.
A drone struck a motorcycle traveling on the coastal road from Sour to Naqoura, near Bayyada, injuring its rider. The presumed target, whose identity remained unknown as of Friday afternoon, was transported by rescuers from the Islamic Mission Scouts (al-Rissala) to a hospital in Sour.
Late Friday morning, Israeli forces carried out a large detonation on the outskirts of Zawtar Sharqieh, in the Nabatieh district. The explosion was heard in several neighboring localities.
During the night, the Bint Jbeil district was particularly affected. Israeli artillery targeted the outskirts of Haddatha toward Beit Yahoun.
At 3:40 a.m., the Israeli army carried out a demolition operation on the outskirts of Haddatha toward Aita al-Shaab.
Israeli forces also opened automatic gunfire on the outskirts of Qantara, in the Marjayoun district, and raided communal land in Mansouri, in the Sour district.
These attacks came a day after the Israeli army carried out two airstrikes, drone strikes on two localities, artillery fire on at least seven localities and nine demolition operations across southern Lebanon.
Lebanese man released by Israel
Meanwhile, Israel released Saad Salim al-Houdeiri, a Lebanese man it captured this week while he was traveling to the still-inhabited village of Rmeish, in the Bint Jbeil district, inside the "buffer zone," and handed him over to the Lebanese Army on Friday.
Al-Houdeiri, who is from Bar Elias in the Bekaa, briefly contacted his wife after his release and told her he was completing "formalities" with the troops.
In a video published Thursday, al-Houdeiri's wife urged authorities to intervene to determine her husband's fate. She said he had traveled to Rmeish earlier this week for work "after obtaining the necessary permits from the relevant authorities, including the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL peacekeepers."
All movement is prohibited in the southern "buffer zone," which stretches across about 620 square kilometers along the border. However, a few pockets remain inhabited, notably the Christian villages of Rmeish, Ain Ibl and Dibil, in the Bint Jbeil district.
During nearly three years of war in southern Lebanon, Israeli forces have repeatedly abducted Lebanese residents, including local officials, in border villages, including during the truce that lasted from November 2024 to March 2026 and especially in recent weeks. Some detainees have been released the same day, while others, for whom there is no official tally, remain detained in Israel.
Reporting contributed by Muntasser Abdallah.
