Renewed attacks on the Ali Taher heights, targeted by explosive materials | LIVE

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Hezbollah holds funeral in Dahiyeh for family killed in yesterday's Israeli strike on Ansar

Hezbollah funeral in Dahiyeh on Aug. 16, 2026, for family killed in Ansar (Nabatieh district) the day before. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient Today)

Hezbollah held a funeral in Beirut’s southern suburbs for the family killed in an Israeli airstrike in the village of Ansar (Nabatieh district) yesterday. The strike killed seven people, including a mother and her four children. Among the victims identified are Ali Samir Hajj Hassan, from the Bekaa Valley, whom Israel identified as a commander in Hezbollah's al-Radwan force, and his family: his wife Zeinab Nassereddine, and their children Hassan, Zahraa, Abbas, and Hussein.

Ministry of Health: 4,346 people killed, 12,301 wounded since March 2

The Ministry of Health stated that the number of people killed in Israeli attacks since the start of the war between Hezbollah and Israel has reached 4,346. The Ministry added that 12,301 people have been wounded in the same period.

The toll significantly increased yesterday, as Israeli attacks killed seven people in Ansar and four in Deir al-Zahrani (Nabatieh district).

Israeli drone drops explosive materials on Ali Taher mountains

A small Israeli drone has dropped explosive materials on the Ali Taher mountains (Nabatieh district).

Moreover, an Israeli Merkava tank has fired several shells at the village of Mansouri (Sour district). Israeli artillery shelling has also targeted the village of Bani Haiyyan (Marjayoun).

'We need to bomb Beirut and crush them,' Ben-Gvir says, criticizing 'reliance on the Lebanese army'

Israeli far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said in an interview with Israeli radio station Radio Darom that Israel should “bomb Beirut and crush them,” while criticizing the “reliance on the Lebanese army,” without providing further details. Under the framework agreement signed in late June between Tel Aviv and Beirut, the Lebanese army is tasked with disarming Hezbollah, a prerequisite for an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. The army has refused to use force to disarm the group.

“We need to take more initiative, we need to bomb Beirut, we need to put an end to this cat-and-mouse game and, instead, crush them,” he said. He is thus calling on Israel to significantly intensify its military activity in Lebanon, arguing that given the casualties suffered by Israeli soldiers, Israel should not settle for “isolated responses,” according to remarks reported by Radio Darom.

According to Ben-Gvir, Israel should “take out Hezbollah targets one after another.” “We cannot continue like this,” he said. In his view, whenever a soldier is hit, Israel must act without hesitation: “The moment you have casualties, the moment soldiers are hit, that’s it, that’s the red line,” he added.

Israeli media: 'Battle of wits' is unfolding around Ali Taher ridge

Citing a military source, the Israeli media outlet, Walla, reported that a "battle of wits" is unfolding around the Ali Taher ridge between the Israeli army and Hezbollah. "On the one hand, Hezbollah is trying to determine where Israeli forces are positioned, and when it detects troop movements, it attempts to attack them in a 'gray area,' as it did early Saturday morning when three soldiers were wounded." As of now, Hezbollah has not yet claimed any recent attack against Israeli soldiers.

According to reports cited by Walla, Hezbollah is attempting to resupply its forces trapped in underground facilities. The Israeli army, for its part, is trying to locate and destroy Hezbollah infrastructure and operatives on the Ali Taher ridge. “Anyone who emerges from the underground and surrenders will be taken to Israel for questioning, while anyone who remains underground will either die or we will kill him,” a senior military source said

According to reports cited by the Israeli channel, the operatives are emerging from underground to search for food. “What happened on Saturday was that they exposed us with a drone. The more determined side will win. It takes a lot of patience,” a senior militray source familiar with the details told the Israeli media outlet.

According to the Israeli channel, after the three Israeli soldiers were wounded, the Israeli army attacked several areas in Southern Lebanon, but "Beirut and the senior Hezbollah organization officials hiding there remained off-limits due to an American demand."

The Israeli army killed 11 people, including children, in Deir al-Zahrani and Ansar (Nabatieh district) yesterday in response to what it described as a “Hezbollah drone attack” targeting its forces.

Haaretz: U.S. accepted Isreal's justification of deadly attacks in Southern Lebanon

The sharp escalation in southern Lebanon over the weekend has apparently led the Americans to request clarifications from Israel, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

After these were given, the U.S. administration "accepted Israel's explanation about Hezbollah's actions", Haaretz added.

11 people were killed in Israeli strikes on South Lebanon yesterday, including several children. The Israeli army claimed that the attacks were in response to the wounding of three Israeli soldiers in a Hezbollah drone attack. However, Hezbollah did not yet claim any attack against Israeli forces.

Israeli drone drops stun grenade in Kafra

A small Israeli drone has dropped a stun grenade in the village of Kafra (Bint Jbeil district), without leaving casualties, according to our correspondent in the South.

Earlier, our correspondent reported that Israeli warplanes flew over some villages in Southern Lebanon.

Katz vows to 'settle all scores on all fronts'

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on X that Israel would settle its scores with its enemies “on all fronts.”

“No score will remain unsettled, on any front,” Katz wrote in a brief post on X. “We will forcefully defend our soldiers and our citizens.”

Israel army attacked Ali Taher, Nabatieh district intensely last night

The Israeli army concentrated its strikes overnight on the heights of the Nabatieh region, mainly on the strategic Ali Taher ridge, reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon, Mountasser Abdallah. The attacks also targeted an area farther south, on the heights of the Jezzine district.

The occupying forces, among other actions, fired white phosphorus shells at the Ali Taher heights, carried out airstrikes there, and opened machine-gun fire from a helicopter.

In the same area, airstrikes targeted Doha Kfar Rumman and the Tahra and Dabsha hills overlooking the village, while artillery fire targeted Habbouch.

The operations then expanded to the Jabal al-Rafii area, on the outskirts of Sajdah, in the Rihan heights of the Jezzine district.

Israeli attacks also reported in Marjeyoun, Sour and Bint Jbeil districts last night

Aside from the attacks on Ali Taher and Nabatieh district, Israeli attacks continued on other areas in South Lebanon last night.

At 1:40 am, Israeli warplanes targeted an area between Qantara and Deir Siryan (Marjayoun district).

Earlier, Israeli artillery shelling targeted the village of Mansouri, Wadi Zibqine toward the village of Shihine, (Sour) and Wadi Hujeir on the outskirts of Touline (Marjeyoun). The Israeli army also carried out a detonation in the area between Kounin and Tiri (Bint Jbeil).

In another development, the municipality of Tayr Debba (Sour) denied reports circulating on social media that Israel had issued a threat against a house in the village, urging residents not to fall for rumors and to rely on official sources.

In a significant escalation, Israeli strikes yesterday killed 11 people in Southern Lebanon, including seven in Ansar and four in Deir Zahrani (Nabatieh district).

Deadly strike in Deir Zahrani: Israeli army says it killed a 'senior commander of Hezbollah’s Badr Unit'

The Israeli army justified its deadly strike on a building in Deir Zahrani on Saturday morning, which killed four people, saying it had targeted and killed Abu Hassan Alaa, a senior commander of Hezbollah’s “Badr” Unit, according to a statement by an Israeli military spokesperson on X. According to available information, the Badr Unit focuses on intelligence gathering and reconnaissance missions. The Israeli army said his death “deals a blow to the unit’s command capabilities.”

He was targeted “in response to the operation carried out by the terrorist Hezbollah against Israeli army forces” on Saturday, the Israeli army said. Abu Hassan Alaa reportedly “participated in carrying out numerous attack plans against Israeli army forces” in southern Lebanon. “In recent years, this man commanded several Hezbollah combat zones as part of the fighting against Israeli army forces,” the Israeli army further claimed.

'Hezbollah bears full responsibility for Israel’s presence' in Lebanon, US State Department says

Following Saturday’s deadly Israeli escalation in southern Lebanon, the US State Department said Hezbollah bears “full responsibility for Israel’s presence on Lebanese territory,” stressing that “this is precisely why Hezbollah must be disarmed and dismantled,” according to comments by a spokesperson cited by Israeli outlet i24NEWS. “Hezbollah has been the main obstacle to Lebanon’s economic recovery, the only blemish on its international reputation, and the greatest threat to the country’s security and stability,” the spokesperson added.

Washington “will continue to support” the framework agreement between Beirut and Tel Aviv signed in late June under US auspices, the spokesperson said. “The pilot zones process remains the only viable path toward lasting peace and security for Lebanon and Israel. We look forward to the Lebanese Army completing security operations in the initial pilot zones, and once these operations are verified, the process will be expanded,” the spokesperson said. “The disarmament of Hezbollah is an integral part of this process,” he added.

Israeli army carries out large detonation in Majdal Zoun

The Israeli army carried out a large detonation in the village of Majdal Zoun (Sour district) this morning, according to our correspondent in the South.