A major explosion was observed on August 20, 2026, around 2 p.m. in the village of Zaoutar el-Charqiyé, Nabatiyé. Photo provided by Mountasser Abdallah / L'Orient-Le Jour
BEIRUT — Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Thursday that supporting Lebanon’s southern border villages is a “national priority,” as Israel continued to attack, demolish, and flatten villages in the occupied border region and residents of a few predominantly Christian and Sunni towns remained cut off from the rest of the country under difficult conditions.
Salam made the remarks during a meeting at the Grand Serail with the mayors of Rmeish and Dibil, Hanna Amil and Akl Naddaf, who came to discuss living conditions in their towns. He said the government’s support for “the resistance of the southern border villages” was a national priority, along with maintaining a continuous and safe connection to the villages to ensure their basic needs are met.
Since hostilities resumed between Hezbollah and Israel on March 2, these border communities have been completely isolated and, for the most part, have relied on foreign aid delivered sporadically because of the Israeli occupation, which prevents unauthorized movement within the de facto “buffer zone” it has established in the South.
Salam praised “the resilience of these residents who remain in their villages” and said that “the state would remain by their side.” The two mayors outlined ways to maintain acceptable living conditions and reiterated the need for “continued state institutional presence in this border region.”
Israeli attacks continue
Meanwhile, Israeli attacks continued across southern Lebanon on Thursday, with several towns and villages targeted since dawn, according to our regional correspondent.
Israeli troop advancement was observed in Haddatha (Bint Jbeil district), where a major explosion echoed around 7 a.m., obliteratin several homes. A large Israeli explosion occurred around 9:30 a.m. in Mansouri, which has been targeted almost daily for several days, preceded by artillery fire. Around 2 p.m., another large explosion was heard in Zawtar Sharqieh (Nabatieh)
By midday, Israeli machine-gun fire targeted the village of Talloussa, while artillery fire was reported between the village and Markaba, both in the Marjayoun district. Artillery fire also targeted the area between Houla (Marjayoun) and Shaqra (Bint Jbeil), as well as Mansouri (Sour).
During the night, Israeli strikes targeted Nabatieh, with successive strikes reported particularly around the strategic Ali Taher hill. After very powerful bombs were dropped on a hill near Ali Taher, the Dabsheh hill and near the village of Dohat Kfar Roummane, witnesses reported foul odors they could not identify.
Israeli artillery fire also targeted Wadi Slouqi, specifically near its intersection with Touline (Marjayoun), and a huge explosion was reported in Khiam (Marjayoun).
Reporting contributed by our correspondent in southern Lebanon, Muntasser Abdallah.
