DaysofPal – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have instructed the military to carry out strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs following deadly clashes in southern Lebanon that left an Israeli soldier dead and several others wounded.
In a joint statement, Netanyahu and Katz announced that they had directed the Israeli military to target sites in Beirut’s southern district, a stronghold of the Lebanese group Hezbollah. The decision came amid a sharp escalation in cross-border hostilities and growing concerns over the collapse of recent ceasefire efforts.
According to a report by Axios citing Israeli officials, Tel Aviv had sought approval from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump for a broader military campaign in Beirut. U.S. sources indicated that momentum behind recent ceasefire initiatives has weakened, while warning that Washington may allow Israel greater freedom to expand its military operations.
Earlier in the day, the Israeli military announced the death of a sergeant from the elite Maglan commando unit and injuries to three other soldiers during fighting in southern Lebanon.
Israeli media outlets reported that the soldier was killed when a Hezbollah drone struck an Israeli force near the village of Yahmar, close to the strategic Beaufort Castle area. The incident occurred less than a day after the Israeli military announced that it had secured control of the hilltop fortress, which overlooks the Litani River and the Wadi al-Slouqi region.
The Israeli army said that 137 officers and soldiers had been wounded during operations in southern Lebanon over the past two weeks. Since fighting resumed in early March, military casualties have reached 26 dead and 1,180 wounded, including dozens suffering serious or moderate injuries.
The military also reported that 14 service members have been killed since the announcement of a ceasefire, with 10 of those deaths attributed to explosive drone attacks.
Air raid sirens sounded across several communities in the Upper Galilee region of northern Israel, including Metula, Margaliot, and Manara, following the detection of rockets and drones launched from southern Lebanon.
Israel’s public broadcaster reported that Hezbollah had continued launching rockets and unmanned aerial vehicles toward northern Israel since the early morning hours.
The Israeli military said it had destroyed a rocket launcher allegedly used in an overnight attack targeting the Tiberias area and added that an interceptor missile had been launched against what it described as a suspicious aerial target originating from Lebanese territory.
For its part, Hezbollah announced that its fighters had engaged an Israeli Hermes 450 drone over southern Lebanon and had attacked an Israeli force on the eastern outskirts of Yahmar al-Shaqif. The group said the operations were conducted in response to Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement.
Evacuation Orders and Airstrikes Expand
The Israeli military broadened evacuation measures in southern Lebanon, issuing urgent warnings to residents in several towns in the Sidon and Jezzine districts. The warnings affected communities including Aqbiyeh, Zrariyeh, Marwaniyeh, Snaybir, Najjariyeh, Adoussieh, Khirbet Bassal, Mleekh, and Kfarhouna.
Israeli warplanes also carried out airstrikes on the outskirts of Toul and launched additional raids targeting the towns of Mifdoun and Harouf in southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that Israeli attacks since March 2 have killed 3,412 people and wounded 10,269 others across Lebanon.
In a statement, the ministry said the cumulative toll from the Israeli military campaign between March 2 and May 31 had reached 3,412 fatalities and more than 10,000 injuries.
Israel has been conducting an expanded military offensive in Lebanon since early March. In addition to the mounting death toll, the conflict has displaced more than one million people and caused extensive destruction to residential buildings and critical infrastructure across large parts of the country.
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