In brief
Israeli PM vows to 'increase the blows' against Hezbollah in response to fiber-optic drone attacks that have killed 11 Israeli troops since the April 17 ceasefire.
Overnight Israeli airstrikes on the eastern Bekaa Valley village killed 12 people, including women and children, with homes destroyed and fires raging.
Hezbollah fighters engaged Israeli troops advancing toward villages near Nabatieh, using artillery and explosive drones as Israel called up reinforcements.
Israel issued its largest evacuation order since the ceasefire, telling residents of the major southern city of Nabatieh to leave immediately.
Hezbollah has fired over 1,000 drones and 700 rockets since the April 17 truce, with a U.S. official calling the situation 'untenable.'
Lebanese and Israeli military officials are to meet in Washington for direct talks, the second such meeting in over 30 years, as the U.S. pushes for Hezbollah's disarmament.
- 26 MayWave after wave of strikes across nearly 50 locations overnight; 12 killed in Mashghara
- 26 MayIsrael orders full evacuation of Nabatieh, largest such order since ceasefire
- 26 MayHezbollah clashes with Israeli troops along Litani River near Zawtar al-Sharqieh
Netanyahu vows escalation
Israel dramatically intensified its military campaign against Hezbollah late Monday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordering an acceleration of strikes across Lebanon. In a video statement, Netanyahu declared Israel would 'smite them hip and thigh' and 'increase the intensity' of attacks, responding to Hezbollah's continued use of fiber-optic drones that have evaded Israeli defenses. The announcement triggered panic in Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, where thousands of residents fled in cars late into the night.
“We will hit them. It's true that they are shooting drones at us, fiber optic drones. We have a special team working on that and we will solve that too. What this requires of us now is to increase the blows, to increase the intensity.”
Overnight bombardment
Israeli warplanes carried out wave after wave of strikes across nearly 50 locations, according to the BBC, with the military confirming it hit more than 100 Hezbollah sites including storage facilities, command centers, and observation points. The eastern Bekaa Valley village of Mashghara was heavily hit, with Lebanon's health ministry reporting 11 bodies pulled from rubble, including one woman and two children. Other sources reported 12 dead, including several family members. Strikes also hit Arab Salim, killing a couple, and Kauthariyet El Rez, where two more died.
Ground clashes along the Litani
On Tuesday, Israeli troops clashed with Hezbollah fighters along the Litani River, a de facto boundary with areas to the south under Israeli military control. Hezbollah said it repelled Israeli forces advancing toward Zawtar al-Sharqieh and Yohmor al-Shaqif, using artillery, rockets, and explosive drones. Israel's military called up an additional battalion to Lebanon and ordered the complete evacuation of Nabatieh, a major southern city hosting hospitals serving war-affected populations — the largest such evacuation order since the April 17 ceasefire.
“By just saying a few words on TV, (Netanyahu) causes everyone to panic and flee their homes. I don't know what's going to happen and how long we can live like this.”
Ceasefire in name only
The U.S.-brokered ceasefire, in effect since April 17, has failed to halt hostilities. A U.S. State Department official said Hezbollah has fired over 1,000 drones and more than 700 rockets since the truce began, calling the status quo 'untenable.' Israel reports 11 troops killed by Hezbollah attacks since the ceasefire took effect. Lebanon's health ministry puts the overall death toll since fighting began on March 2 at 3,185, while Israel reports four civilians and 23 soldiers killed.
Washington talks loom
The escalation comes just three days before Lebanese and Israeli military delegations are scheduled to meet at the Pentagon for direct talks — their second such meeting in over three decades. The U.S. and Israel seek Hezbollah's disarmament, while Lebanon's reformist government hopes for an agreement leading to Israeli withdrawal. Hardline Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir have pushed for even greater escalation, with Smotrich calling for ten Beirut buildings to fall for every explosive drone launched.