Israel strikes Lebanon's south and east amid broad evacuation warnings

Israeli forces carried out strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon on Saturday, accompanied by evacuation warnings for the city of Nabatieh and more than 20 other locations. The Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli airstrikes hit several areas, particularly around Nabatieh. An AFP journalist in the region heard blasts and saw smoke rising from areas near Kfar Remman and Kfar Tebnit. The Lebanese Army reported that one of its soldiers was severely wounded by an Israeli drone attack near Nabatieh. The NNA also stated that an Israeli strike killed a local official in Rihan, in the Jezzine region. Residents of Nabatieh and other coastal areas were warned by the Israeli military to "evacuate your homes immediately and move to the north of the Zahrani River." Israel had previously declared areas south of this river as "combat zones."

Hezbollah claimed its fighters launched drone attacks on Israeli military vehicles and thwarted an overnight Israeli "infiltration" attempt near Kfar Tebrnit. The group also reported clashes with Israeli soldiers closer to the border. Israel's military confirmed intercepting a "suspicious aerial target" from Lebanon and stated that over 70 Hezbollah sites were struck in the past 24 hours. Further strikes hit two areas in Lebanon's eastern Baalbek region later on Saturday.

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evacuate your homes immediately and move to the north of the Zahrani River

These developments occur as the U.S. and Iran reportedly move closer to a peace deal to end the wider Middle East war, with indications that Lebanon could be included. However, neither Israel nor Hezbollah have respected previous ceasefire attempts, and a recent conditional truce deal also failed to halt the fighting. Hezbollah has rejected direct talks and the conditional agreement, highlighting the persistent challenges to achieving regional stability.

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over the past 24 hours, more than 70 Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure sites were struck