• Israeli strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon kill at least three people and injure 23, the Lebanese Health Ministry says.

Israeli artillery shells southern Lebanon

The areas of Wadi al-Salouqi and Wadi al-Hujeir in southern Lebanon have been subjected to Israeli artillery shelling in the early hours of Saturday, the country’s National News Agency reports.

Israel launches two raids in southern Lebanon’s Tyre district

Israeli aircraft have carried out two consecutive raids on the town of al-Mansouri, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) has reported.

The attacks targeted multiple homes in the southern Tyre district, NNA said.

Death toll from Israeli attacks in southern and eastern Lebanon rises to 5: Health Ministry

At least five people have been killed and 24 others wounded following a series of Israeli attacks on southern and eastern Lebanon since Friday, the country’s Health Ministry reports.

The areas targeted included Nabatieh, Tyre and Western Bekaa.

Israeli drone drops explosives on homes in southern Lebanese town of al-Mansouri, state media says

Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) is reporting that a hostile drone is dropping explosive materials on homes in the town of al-Mansouri. The attack was preceded by a series of detonations carried out by Israeli forces in the town, it added.

Israel’s release of Lebanese prisoners ‘cannot serve as cover’ for deadly attacks in Lebanon: Hezbollah

Hezbollah has condemned Israel’s escalating campaign in southern Lebanon amid what it deems “complete international silence and blatant American complicity”.

“The release of some Lebanese prisoners, however important, cannot serve as a cover for overlooking the continued aggression, occupation, and killing, nor can it justify persisting on a path that has proven its failure and inability to protect Lebanon and its people,” a statement from the group said, referring to the transfer of four Lebanese prisoners detained in Israel to the International Committee of the Red Cross on Friday.

Hezbollah also called for the Lebanese government to abandon “fruitless direct negotiations [with Israel] and the ill-fated framework agreement”.

Dozens of Lebanese citizens, including civilians, are believed to be held in Israeli detention centers.

Israeli forces set off large detonations in southern Lebanon’s Bani Hayyan, state media says

Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) is reporting that Israeli forces carried out large-scale detonations in the town of Bani Hayyan, in the Marjayoun district of southern Lebanon.

Israeli strikes destroy former MP’s home, public park in south Lebanon

Israeli air raids on southern Lebanon have destroyed multiple buildings and a public park, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.

The home of the late former legislator, Habib Sadiq, was destroyed in Al-Kfour in what residents described as the town’s first air attack since the ceasefire in June. The building, which had been used as a cultural and arts venue and housed a notable literary library and rare paintings, was reduced to rubble.

Also hit was the Lady Masouma Garden on the southern edge of Nabatieh city, demolishing the municipal park that opened in 2014 and included green spaces, playgrounds, a cafe and children’s recreational areas.

The Habib Houmani building in Nabatieh al-Fawqa was destroyed and another structure in the Talat Nabatieh Shoukin area sustained heavy damage, according to local reports.

Earlier, the outskirts of Zawtar al-Sharqiya, near Meifdoun, came under heavy artillery fire, causing fires in farmers’ fields.

A hostile surveillance balloon was observed over Zawtar al-Sharqiya, coinciding with the movement of armored vehicles within the town. Sources said the balloon was providing support to Israeli forces in the area.

Israeli attacks hit Lebanon’s Nabatieh al-Fawqa, Meiss el-Jabal: Lebanese state media

Lebanon’s National News Agency is reporting several new Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon.

Israeli forces carried out two air attacks on the outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, while also targeting the town of Meiss el-Jabal, the agency said.

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed nearly 9,000 since 2023, Health Ministry says

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 8,925 people and wounded 30,595 since October 8, 2023, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.

It added that 4,358 people have been killed and 12,359 wounded since the latest escalation began in March.

The dead and wounded are overwhelmingly Lebanese: the ministry said 94 percent of casualties in the latest period were Lebanese nationals, with Syrians, Palestinians and other foreign nationals making up the rest. Men accounted for 86 percent of casualties. Nearly a quarter of those killed or wounded were under 18.

Health workers and infrastructure have been repeatedly hit. The ministry documented 180 attacks on ambulance crews, 135 health workers killed and 416 wounded, with damage to 40 health centres and 184 ambulances. Seventeen hospitals have sustained damage and three have been forced to shut down entirely.

The south and Nabatieh remain the hardest-hit regions, according to the ministry’s breakdown, though casualties have been recorded across nearly every province.

Israeli military prepares to reduce forces in southern Lebanon after destroying tunnels under Ali al-Taher ridge

The Israeli military is preparing to scale back its troop presence in southern Lebanon following the destruction of tunnel networks on the Ali Taher ridge, Israel’s public broadcaster Kan is reporting, citing security sources.

Discussions have been held within Israel’s defence establishment on establishing a new security zone closer to the Israeli border, from which the military would continue to protect communities along the confrontation line, Kan said. Under the plan, Israeli forces would withdraw from parts of the so-called “Yellow Line” which currently extends into areas north of the Litani River, and reposition three to four kilometers closer to the Israeli border, along a new “Grey Line” inside Lebanese territory where outposts would be built.

The plan has not been finalized or approved by Israel’s political leadership, Kan said. Unresolved questions remain, particularly around the handover of territory to the Lebanese army and related negotiations between the two countries.

The Ali al-Taher ridge overlooks the Nabatieh region and routes linking southern Lebanon to the Iqlim al-Tuffah area,

The Israeli military said its forces spent recent weeks operating on the ridge, killing some fighters while others escaped. The military said it uncovered command centers, weapons depots and living quarters inside the tunnel network.

The Israelis are not saying that it may only issues the redeployment, not withdrawal of members of the Yahalom Unit, which is tasked with engineering demolition, sabotage, and the destruction of structures or tunnel networks.

Qatar’s PM discusses regional de-escalation, maritime security with Lebanese counterpart

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani spoke by phone today with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, as Doha pressed for calm amid rising regional tensions, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said.

The two leaders reviewed bilateral ties and discussed the latest regional developments, with particular focus on diplomatic efforts and joint coordination to de-escalate tensions and reinforce security and stability across the region, the ministry said in a statement.

Sheikh Mohammed reaffirmed Qatar’s backing for diplomatic initiatives aimed at securing freedom of maritime navigation and paving the way towards a comprehensive agreement for lasting peace in the region.

He also reiterated Qatar’s steadfast support for Lebanon’s stability and territorial integrity, and voiced continued solidarity with the Lebanese people, the ministry said.

What is the significance of Israel’s claimed control of Lebanon’s Ali al-Taher ridge?

Israel this week has claimed to have established operational control over the strategically vital Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, after an extended operation against positions of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

In a statement on Friday, Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed Israeli forces had driven Hezbollah fighters out of what he said was a network of tunnels ⁠⁠under the contested highland, 15km (10 miles) from the border.

Israel has been working to embed its occupation of southern Lebanon since the latest escalation of the conflict in March this year, when it announced the creation of a “security” or “buffer” zone, which rights groups say has involved the deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure.

Israeli strikes and ground operations around the Ali al-Taher ridge continued despite a ceasefire agreed in June.

According to Mohanad Hage Ali, of the Carnegie Middle East Center, Israel’s success has partly been down to technological superiority but also due to the complete absence of “inhibition” in their assaults upon Lebanese towns and villages, which have often accrued daily casualty rates of dozens of people.

“There aren’t any consequences to their actions,” he said. “They can demolish entire villages and wipe out whole societies in a way they could never do before. It’s ethnic cleansing.”

Israel attacks municipality near Litani River in southern Lebanon

Israeli warplanes have raided the municipality of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, near the Litani River in the province of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, the National News Agency reported.