• Israel and Hezbollah trade fire as the death toll from Israeli attacks in Lebanon surpasses 486 people. Nearly 700,000 people have been displaced across Lebanon.

Israeli forces kill Catholic priest in southern Lebanon

Lebanese Maronite Catholic priest Father Pierre al-Rahi has been killed by Israeli tank fire in the village of Qlayaa in southern Lebanon, Catholic news service OSV News has reported.

According to OSV, al-Rahi, who was also known as Pierre el-Rai, had refused an Israeli forced order to flee Qlayaa, a Christian Maronite village in the Marjayoun district, a few miles from the Israeli border. The town had been home to some 8,000 people before Israeli attacks began.

“Father Pierre al-Rahi was from my village, Dibeh, but he was the parish priest of Qlayaa in Marjayoun,” Lebanese Maronite Father Jean Younes, secretary-general of the Assembly of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops of Lebanon, told OSV News.

“Unfortunately, he passed away. God bless his soul,” Younes said.

Lebanese priest was killed after Israeli forces attacked local residence for second time

More about the Israeli attack that killed Lebanese Maronite Catholic priest Father Pierre al-Rahi in southern Lebanon on Monday.

Lebanese newspaper L’orient-le jour reported that al-Rahi was killed after an Israeli tank fired on the home of a local couple a second time after several people had rushed there to try to help.

“We narrowly escaped a massacre, because there were many of us there,” said Hanna Daher, the head of council in the village of Qlayaa, according to L’orient-le jour. “Despite this, several people were injured, including the priest, Pierre el-Rai, who succumbed to his wounds.”

A day before he was killed, al-Rahi had spoken to the France24 television channel from the steps of his church in Qlayaa, telling them he would stay to defend the village, peacefully.

“We are forced to stay despite the danger, when we defend our land, and we do so peacefully” al-Rahi told France24. “None of us carries weapons. All of us carry peace and goodness and love,” he added.

At least 486 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since Monday last week, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

"Israeli tank fired on the home of a local couple a second time after several people had rushed there to try to help"

Sounds like double-tap by tank fire.

Israeli forces bomb southern Lebanon

There have been several Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon in recent hours.

They include the town of Majdal in the Tyre district and Kafr Sasir in the Nabatieh district.

Earlier, the National News Agency reported heavy Israeli strikes near the town of Ansariya as well as on the outskirts of Bint Jbeil and Ainatha.

The NNA also reported the deaths of four people in Israeli strikes on two areas in the Bint Jbeil district.

Hezbollah claims attacks on Israeli bases and barracks

The Lebanese armed group says it launched a missile attack on the Givaa drone control base, east of the Israeli city of Safed, and fired rockets at the Yiftah barracks near the border in the early hours of this morning.

Hezbollah also said it carried out a drone attack on the Tziporit base, east of Haifa, on Monday morning, and a missile attack on the Tel Hashomer base, near Tel Aviv, in the evening.

Hezbollah claims ambush on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon

The Lebanese armed group says its fighters have launched several attacks on Israeli troops in the southern parts of Lebanon today.

It said its fighters ambushed Israeli soldiers on the outskirts of the city of Khiam and scored hits on three Merkava tanks. The three vehicles were seen burning, it said.

Earlier, the group said it fired two volleys of rockets at Israeli forces in the town of Markaba, and carried out an artillery attack on Israeli forces in the Khanouq area of the village of Aitaroun. It also claimed a rocket attack on Israeli soldiers in the Kahil Heights on the eastern outskirts of the border town of Maroun al-Ras.

Hezbollah claims more attacks on Israeli troops, military sites

The Lebanese armed group says its fighters fired rockets at the Al-Malikiyah site in northern Israel, opposite the Lebanese border town of Aitaroun, in the early hours of the morning.

It also claimed another rocket attack on what it called a “newly established site” in Jabal al-Bat near Aitaroun, as well as on Israeli troops and an artillery emplacement near al-Abbad in southern Lebanon.

The group said its fighters also attacked an Israeli site in Tell el-Hamames, south of the city of Khiam, with a rocket salvo.

Israeli attacks continue across Lebanon

Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) is reporting that Israeli warplanes have carried out more attacks across Lebanon overnight, including in Srifa, Rihane Chaqra, and Ain el-Tineh heights in western Bekaa.

There are also reports of fierce clashes on the outskirts of Khiam in southern Lebanon, with residents hearing shelling, flares and gunfire.

As we reported earlier, four people were killed in Israeli strikes on two areas of the Bint Jbeil district, according to NNA.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry has said at least 486 people have been killed and 1,313 wounded in Israel’s latest wave of attacks on Lebanon.

US Embassy in Beirut tells citizens to ‘shelter in place’

Americans in Lebanon “should be prepared to shelter in place” if they “choose to not take advantage of departure options available”, the US Embassy in Beirut has said in a security alert.

The embassy advised US citizens to find a “secure location within your residence or another safe building” and “have a supply of food, water, medications, and other essential items”.

Lebanon has said more than half a million people have been displaced by fighting between Israel and Hezbollah over the past week, with Israeli attacks killing at least 486 people.

Drone intercepted over Israel’s northern border: Israeli media

A drone has been intercepted over Israel’s northern border after sirens warning of a potential UAV intrusion were heard in towns in the western Galilee region, Israeli media are reporting.

Israel’s Channel 12 later reported, citing the army, that the incident is now over.

Israeli army says it targeted 30 sites of Hezbollah-linked charity

The Israeli army says it has targeted about 30 sites of Al-Qard al-Hasan, a Hezbollah-linked charity, over the past week.

Israel says it previously struck locations linked to the group, which it accuses of funding Hezbollah activities, including the purchase of weapons and payments to its fighters. The association is also subject to US sanctions.

Israel renews forced displacement order for south Lebanon

The Israeli military has again ordered residents of southern Lebanon to flee their homes.

In a post on X, it threatened residents living in areas south of the Litani River, warning that “air strikes are ongoing” as it operates “with great force in the area”.

“We reiterate our urgent appeal for you to evacuate your homes immediately and head immediately north of the Litani River,” it said. “Any movement southward may endanger your lives.”

Israelis say they attacked Al-Qard al-Hasan

The Israeli military says it has completed another wave of attacks against assets of the Al-Qard al-Hasan group, a charity affiliated with Hezbollah.

This is not the first time the Israeli military has hit the group.

According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, Israeli forces bombed several of the institution’s branches in October 2024.

At the time, Amnesty International said the attacks should be investigated as a war crime, as branches of financial institutions are civilian objects unless they are used for military purposes. The human rights group said Al-Qard al-Hasan, which operates under a license granted by the Lebanese government, is the country’s biggest micro credit provider and is used by many Lebanese civilians to access small, interest-free loans.

The US Department of State sanctioned seven senior officials and one entity linked to the group last year, claiming these officials had facilitated Hezbollah’s evasion of sanctions.

Battle for control unfolding in southern Lebanon

The Israeli army has increased its presence along the border and within Lebanese territory.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority is reporting that the Israeli government is discussing the possibility of expanding its presence in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah says it has so far repelled advances on a number of axes. Last night, there were fierce clashes in Khiam, with Hezbollah saying it destroyed an Israeli tank.

The Israeli army issued yet another evacuation threat, telling people to leave the area south of the Litani, which is a sign that it really wants to empty that area of residents as it pushes forward and attempts to reach hilltop positions.

Hezbollah remains defiant, saying they have no other choice but to defend themselves and to resist.

Israeli army warns of attacks in Lebanon’s Tyre and Sidon

The Israeli army has warned of upcoming attacks on Lebanon’s southern cities of Tyre and Sidon, known as Saida and Sour in Arabic.

Its spokesperson said the army would hit Hezbollah targets in “the near future” and warned residents to move “at least 300 metres away” from the designated areas.

No sign of disarmament of Hezbollah by Lebanon: Israel’s envoy to France

Israel’s ambassador to France has told a French broadcaster that he sees no sign of disarmament of Hezbollah by the Lebanese government.

Speaking to BFMTV, Joshua Zarka said the Lebanese government was still not able to deliver on what it said it would do.

He added that he was not ⁠aware of any decision from Israel to attempt to negotiate an end ‌to the conflict with Beirut.

Israel carries out air attacks on southern Lebanon

Israel has launched a number of air raids on southern Lebanon, the Israeli army, Lebanese state media are reporting.

An air raid hit the town of Qabrikha, while Israeli jets attacked the towns of Deir Siryan and Taybeh.

The Israeli military said it had launched air attacks near Ansariyeh. It claimed that the air strikes targeted a Hezbollah headquarters in an area where it said rockets had been launched towards Israel.

UNHCR says 80,000 Syrians cross border from Lebanon

More than 80,000 Syrians have crossed from Lebanon into Syria since March 2 to escape ongoing Israeli strikes, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

UNHCR spokesperson Celine Schmitt told Syria’s SANA news agency that many families left Lebanon quickly, often without taking any personal belongings, and were staying with relatives. No requests for emergency shelter have been recorded so far, Schmitt said.

Two Israeli attacks hit Lebanon’s Tyre after Israeli threats

Lebanese media and our colleagues on the ground are reporting that two Israeli air attacks have hit Lebanon’s southern city of Tyre, known as Sour in Arabic.

This comes shortly after the Israeli army threatened attacks on Tyre and Sidon, known as Saida.

Israeli attacks on Lebanon displace 100,000 people in one day; total rises above 667,000

The number of people forced from their homes in Lebanon due to Israel’s intensifying attacks has dramatically increased.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva from Beirut, UNHCR’s representative in Lebanon said more than 100,000 people had been newly displaced within Lebanon in just 24 hours.

“As of today, more than 667,000 people in Lebanon have now registered on the [Lebanese] government’s online platform as displaced – and this is an increase of 100,000 in just one day,” Karolina Lindholm Billing said

She added that the figure represented “a faster pace of displacement” compared to 2024 during the previous war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israeli strikes reported in southern Lebanon

An Israeli drone strike that targeted the town of Barashit in southern Lebanon.

The state-run National News Agency reported air strikes on the southern towns of Adchit and Breqaa.

Four people were injured in the town of Harouf, NNA said.

Footage shows Israeli air strike on building in south Lebanon’s Tyre district

Footage shared online shows the moment an Israeli air attack hits a building in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon.

The clip shows the air strike hitting a building in al-Abbassieh in the Tyre district causing a huge explosion and creating enormous clouds of smoke.

Israeli army repeats forced evacuation threats for Beirut’s Dahiyeh

The Israeli army has repeated its forced evacuation threat for the entire southern part of Lebanon’s capital, known collectively as Dahiyeh and home to hundreds of thousands.

It warned of imminent attacks on the neighbourhoods of Haret Hreik, Ghobeiry, Laylaki, Hadath, Burj al-Barajneh, Tahwitat al-Ghadir and Chiyah.

Israel illegally using white phosphorus in Lebanon, says HRW

The Israeli army illegally ‌used white phosphorus munitions over homes in the southern Lebanese town Yohmor ⁠on March 3, ⁠posing a threat to civilians, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report.

The rights group said it had verified eight images showing white phosphorus, which is highly toxic and causes severe skin burns, used ⁠over a residential part of Yohmor, and civil defence workers responding to fires in the area.

The Israeli army was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency it was unaware and could not confirm the use of shells that contain white phosphorus in Lebanon.

Lebanese authorities have not commented.

Residents in Lebanon’s Sidon await Israeli strikes amid more displacement

The Israeli army issued an evacuation threat at around 9:30am (07:30 GMT) saying it will strike three buildings in the Haret Saida neighbourhood, in the southern part of the city of Saida (Sidon).

The residential area has since been evacuated. Close to the buildings marked on a map is a school where hundreds of displaced families have taken shelter. They have now been in the streets for five hours waiting for the strike.

They don’t know if it is safe to go back home and when.

This really causes a lot of tension and stress for people, with some saying this is psychological warfare and that these buildings may not be hit at all today.

Israeli army says it has begun striking Beirut’s southern suburbs

In a post on X, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed the army had “begun attacking Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut’s southern suburbs”, adding that more details would follow.

Lebanon seeks Vatican mediation amid Israeli attacks on southern villages

Foreign Minister Youssef Raji has asked the Vatican to intervene to help protect Christian villages along Lebanon’s southern border amid ongoing attacks from Israel.

In a phone call with the Vatican’s secretary of state, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Foreign Ministry said Raji described the “difficult conditions” facing border communities amid the ongoing tensions in southern Lebanon, according to a social media post.

Raji requested the Vatican’s mediation to conduct “all necessary diplomatic contacts to halt the escalation in Lebanon and prevent the displacement of citizens from their lands”.

Earlier, an Israeli attack that killed Lebanese Maronite Catholic priest Father Pierre al-Rahi in southern Lebanon on Monday.

Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon would be ‘tremendous’ mistake, warns Spain’s Albares

An ⁠Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon would ⁠be a “tremendous” mistake, ⁠Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has warned, while announcing Madrid would send humanitarian aid ⁠worth 9 ⁠million euros ($10.5m) ⁠to Beirut.

Albares also demanded that Hezbollah stop firing rockets at Israel.

He added that his country’s relations with Washington had been operating as normal since US President Donald Trump threatened to cut ties with Spain over its refusal to allow the US military to use its bases for operations against Iran.

Presidents of Lebanon and Syria discuss regional tensions

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has held a phone call with his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa, to discuss developments in the region.

In a post on social media, the Lebanese presidency said the two leaders stressed that the “delicate situation” in the region requires closer coordination and consultation between the two neighbours.

They also emphasized the need to control the border and prevent any security breaches “regardless of their source”.

Iran criticizes EU’s Kallas over comments on Hezbollah attacks

Iran has accused the European Union of “hypocrisy and double standards” after the bloc’s foreign policy chief criticized Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei wrote on X that the EU had shown “indifference” while Israel was “committing genocide in Gaza” and carrying out attacks in Lebanon and other countries.

“But now that Lebanon resists, suddenly you remember ‘international law’”, Baqaei said, adding that the EU could not claim to speak for European citizens “whose people are loudly condemning Israel’s crimes”.

His comments came in response to remarks by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who said Hezbollah’s decision to attack Israel “endangers the entire region”.

Kallas also said Israel has the right to self-defense under international law, while warning that Israel’s “heavy-handed response” is causing mass displacement and further destabilizing an already fragile situation.

Kallas is to be accused of distortion of facts. The Israeli war in Lebanon is a spillover of Netanyahu's resumption of his 12-day preemptive war on Iran from June 2025.

Hezbollah says it attacked Israeli base with drones

Hezbollah says it has launched a drone attack on an Israeli military base west of the Sea of Galilee.

In a statement, the Lebanese group said it targeted what it described as the Samson base, otherwise known as Camp Shimshon, using drones.

Israel’s military orders residents of four southern Lebanese towns to flee ‘immediately’ 

Israel’s military has issued another forced displacement order for parts of southern Lebanon, this one directed at four villages in the Nabatieh governorate.

In a statement on X, Israel’s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee urged residents of Arnoun, Yohmor, Al-Sharqiyah and Zawtar al-Gharbiyah to “immediately evacuate” their homes and head to the north of Nabatieh.

“Save your lives and evacuate your homes immediately,” he said, claiming the Israeli military would soon target Hezbollah’s activities in the area.

Israel says rockets from Lebanon wound several people in central Israel

Several people suffered minor injuries after rockets fired from Lebanon crashed into central Israel.

In a statement posted on X, the army said most of the rockets launched were intercepted, but two projectiles fell in different areas without warning.

A joint investigation by Israel’s Home Front Command and the air force found the rockets were detected but not intercepted in time.

Lebanese state ‘feeling the strain’ as number of displaced people climbs

Israel issued evacuation orders for this part of Beirut’s suburbs several hours ago and the Lebanese state is really feeling the strain. There are around 700,000 people registered as internally displaced on the government website. It went up 100,000 in just 24 hours.

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has accused Hezbollah of working to collapse the state, and he’s suggested a four-point plan that he wants the US and the international community to back for talks with Israel.

He says he wants to somehow establish a full truce with Israel, he wants logistical support for the army to disarm Hezbollah and he wants to head towards direct negotiations with Hezbollah. But at the same time, Hezbollah’s political arm in parliament here says, “We are going to defend our existence, whatever the cost.”

So there are reports that Aoun’s outreach to the US and Israel is being greeted with great skepticism, not just because of what Hezbollah’s political arm is saying, but perhaps because Israel at the moment prefers to pursue a military solution to try to degrade Hezbollah as much as possible before entering any sort of talks

France requests UNSC meeting over Lebanon

France’s Foreign Ministry has expressed on X its “deep concern over the escalating violence in Lebanon”, saying it has requested a meeting of the UN Security Council on Wednesday.

Israeli air strike reported in southern Lebanon

An Israeli air strike has hit the town of Adshit in southern Lebanon.

Ireland pledges 3 million euros in aid for displaced people in Lebanon

Lebanon’s foreign minister has welcomed Ireland’s pledge of humanitarian aid.

In a post on X, Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Foreign Minister Youssef Raji was informed by Ireland’s ambassador to Lebanon and Cairo, Aidan O’Hara, that Dublin would allocate 3 million euros ($3.5m) in humanitarian assistance to help displaced people in Lebanon.

Raji expressed “Lebanon’s gratitude to Ireland and the Irish people for their generosity”.

The ministry added that the Lebanese government remains committed to efforts to halt Israel’s escalation and to confiscate Hezbollah’s weapons and prevent its military and security activities, in line with a recent cabinet decision.

Hezbollah says it fired rockets at Israeli troops near Khiam

Hezbollah says it launched a rocket barrage at Israeli soldiers near the southern Lebanese town of Khiam.

In a statement, the group said its fighters targeted troops gathered in Wadi al-Asafir, south of Khiam, at about 3pm local time (13:00 GMT).

Hezbollah said the attack was carried out in response to what it described as “Israeli aggression” on Lebanon.

Lebanon’s death toll from Israeli attacks reaches 570: Government

The number of people killed in Lebanon since Israel renewed widespread attacks on the country last Monday now stands at 570.

At least 1,444 people have also been wounded, according to a report by the government’s Disaster Risk Management Unit.

A total of 760,000 people have been registered as displaced since the outbreak of the war.

Islamic Health Authority says Israeli attacks have killed 15 paramedics in Lebanon

The Islamic Health Authority says Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed 15 paramedics and wounded more than 30 others since the start of the latest escalation last week.

In a statement, the organization said ambulance teams and health centers had been repeatedly targeted while carrying out rescue work.

It said the most recent strike hit the vicinity of an ambulance point in the town of Hanaway in southern Lebanon, killing one paramedic and wounding two others.

“These attacks constitute a blatant violation of all international conventions, foremost among them the Geneva Conventions”, the group said, adding that medical and humanitarian personnel are protected under international law.

Israel’s president says ‘determined to dismantle Hezbollah once and for all’

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has said Israel plans to completely “dismantle” Hezbollah, which it has been waging fierce attacks against since March 2.

“If Hezbollah even thinks about continuing to harass or threaten, it simply does not understand what awaits it”, said Herzog in comments carried by The Times of Israel. “It certainly does not understand that Israel is determined to dismantle it once and for all.”

Israel’s Beirut strike that killed 4 violates international law, says Iran

Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations has condemned an attack in Beirut that Tehran says killed four Iranian diplomats, adding that it violates international law.

Amir Saeid Iravani said the diplomats were in Lebanon on official duties related to safety and security and that their presence had been coordinated with Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry.

He described the killing of the diplomats as a grave “terrorist act” and said it constituted a violation of international law.

Iran has accused Israel of carrying out the strike in Beirut, which Iranian officials say resulted in the killing of the four diplomats.

Hezbollah says it fired rockets at Israeli positions near Khiam

Hezbollah says it launched rocket attacks on several Israeli military positions near the Lebanese border.

In a statement, the group said its fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and vehicles at what it described as the Hamams site, near the Lebanese border town of Khiam, and the Ajal Hill site near the Israeli settlement of Kfar Yuval.

It added that the Fatima Gate area on the Lebanon–Israel border was also targeted with rocket fire.

Clashes erupt between Hezbollah and Israeli forces in south Lebanon

Heavy clashes broke out between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli troops on the outskirts of Aitaroun town in southern Lebanon.

According to the official National News Agency, both sides utilized heavy artillery and rocket fire during the engagement in Bint Jbeil district.

The situation remains volatile as the exchange of fire has expanded across the outskirts of the town, according to the news report.

New wave of Israeli attacks on southern Beirut

A new wave of Israeli air strikes hit the southern suburbs of Beirut early Wednesday. No injuries were immediately reported.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said that “the Israeli enemy launched a violent raid” on the area, where Hezbollah holds sway. Live footage showed plumes of smoke rising from the places struck.

Tens of thousands of Lebanese civilians have already fled the area after Israel’s forced evacuation orders for all of Beirut’s southern suburbs.