Israeli forces have crossed the Litani River in southern Lebanon for the first time since 2006 and advanced to the outskirts of the city of Nabatieh, an important economic and cultural hub in the region. Senior Lebanese military sources said Israeli troops had crossed what Israel called an unofficial buffer zone.
According to an Al Jazeera correspondent in Tyre, Israel is expanding its airstrike campaign in southern Lebanon and encircling Nabatieh in preparation for a potential assault on the city. Israel has broken through Hezbollah’s second and third defensive lines, cutting off the western Bekaa Valley from the southern part of the country.
Israel has issued evacuation orders for at least 10 villages in southern Lebanon, expanding its incursion despite ongoing peace talks with Lebanese officials. The Israeli military’s Arabic spokesman, Avichay Adraee, ordered residents of several Lebanese villages to leave immediately, warning they could be killed if they stay.
The evacuation order came a day after officials from both sides met in Washington to discuss a permanent end to the war. The conflict began in March of this year when Iran-backed Hezbollah started attacking Israel following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Approximately 1.2 million people—more than 20 percent of the population—have been displaced by the fighting. Many families are living in makeshift camps in public parks or in their cars for extended periods. Some families have been repeatedly displaced since 2023.
On Friday, at least 14 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon. Lebanese officials are working to disarm Hezbollah, but the task is seen as extremely difficult.
Talks between Lebanon and Israel are currently underway with U.S. support, marking the first direct dialogue between the two sides in decades. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun spoke by phone with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stressing the importance of Israel respecting the current ceasefire.
