• Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reports that the latest Israeli attacks in eastern Lebanon have killed four people and wounded 13 more.

Nabi Chit: Failed Israeli search for a dead pilot

Clashes reported in Bekaa Valley between Israeli commandos and Hezbollah

The Lebanese National News Agency and our local sources in the area are telling us that there was an attempted Israeli landing operation in the mountains to the east – mountains on the Syrian-Lebanese border – and that commandos made their way towards the town of Nabi Chit, where they were engaged in clashes with Hezbollah.

It's not exactly known what the aim of that operation was or, indeed, if there were any casualties.

But what it does represent is an expansion of Israeli operations in Lebanon because, in the past, any Israeli ground presence has been limited to the south of the country, where we have seen them make several incursions over the last couple of days.

Israeli air strikes target outskirts of Bekaa Valley town in Lebanon

Israeli warplanes have attacked a location on the outskirts of the town of Shmestar in the Bekaa Valley.

Earlier, clashes were reported between Israeli commandos and Hezbollah fighters in the Bekaa region.

Three killed in Israeli air strike in Lebanon

The Lebanese Ministry of Health has announced that three people have been killed and 16 injured in strikes on the village of Nabi Chit.

Hezbollah confirms clashes with Israel troops after helicopter ‘infiltration’

Hezbollah has confirmed its fighters were involved, saying in a statement that its forces “observed the infiltration of four Israeli enemy army helicopters from the Syrian direction”, according to the AFP news agency.

After landing, advancing troops “were engaged by a group” of Hezbollah fighters as they reached the Nabi Chit cemetery, Hezbollah said, referring to the name of a town in the Bekaa’s eastern Baalbek district.

“The clash escalated after the enemy force was exposed,” Hezbollah added, saying the Israeli troops launched intense air strikes and began to evacuate after the clashes started.

A separate statement said Hezbollah fighters had fired rockets as the Israeli forces withdrew. Footage shared on social media by Hezbollah showed waves of gunfire in the air.

Nabi Chit was the target of at least 13 Israeli air strikes on Friday, according to Lebanese media, with Lebanon’s health ministry reporting at least nine people killed.

"...from the Syrian direction,..”

This tactic resembles the tactic the Israelis were using when they carried out attacks in Syria via Lebanon airspace between 2013 and 2015. It is a cross border attack, meaning the Israelis entered illegally Syria's airspace to intrude into the Lebanese airspace for a covert operation.

Anti-aircraft fire seen in eastern Lebanon amid Israeli incursion

Anti-aircraft fire was seen in the Bekaa Valley, in eastern Lebanon, amid reports of an attempted landing by Israeli forces.

Clashes have been reported between Israeli commandos and Hezbollah fighters in the town of Nabi Chit.

At least 12 people killed in eastern Lebanon: Ministry

The Lebanese Health Ministry says at least 12 people have been killed and 33 wounded in Israeli air raids on the town of Nabi Chit in the eastern Bekaa Valley.

In the past week, the Israeli military has ordered large-scale forced displacement ⁠from southern Lebanon and Beirut’s ⁠southern suburbs, causing a huge exodus of civilians from these areas.

More than 200 people in Lebanon have been killed since the conflict started, and an estimated 95,000 have been displaced.

Number of people killed in Israeli air attacks on Lebanon’s Nabi Chit rises to 16

The number of people killed in overnight Israeli air attacks on the Lebanese town of Nabi Chit has now risen to at least 16, according to health officials.

Another 35 people have been wounded.

What happened in Nabi Chit?

There’s huge destruction and damage all around in the center of Nabi Chit, a town in eastern Lebanon as a result of intense Israeli air attacks overnight.

People in the town are telling that Israeli troops on helicopters came from Syria, landed and approached the cemetery in the town.

That was when Hezbollah fighters, as well as locals, opened fire and engaged in clashes with the Israeli troops who were in the cemetery, apparently digging up what they believed was a grave.

For Israeli troops to be able to withdraw, Israeli aircraft carried out an intense bombing campaign.

The Lebanese Health Ministry is reporting dozens of dead and wounded.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority is reporting that the Israeli military operation has been carried out in Lebanese territory in search of Ron Arad, an Israeli pilot whose plane was reportedly shot down in the 1980s and whose whereabouts have not been known for decades.

There isn't a clear picture, but there are reports that this was done based on recent intelligence and information obtained by the Israeli army, which has long tried to find any clue on the fate of that missing pilot.

Death toll in Israeli air attack on Nabi Chit rises to 26

The number of people killed in the Israeli air attacks on Nabi Chit, in the eastern Bekaa Valley, has now risen to at least 26, according to Lebanon’s state media.

Israel says unsuccessfully searched for missing Ron Arad as part of Lebanon operation overnight

Israel’s special forces have attempted to locate “findings related to the missing navigator Ron Arad” as part of a military operation carried out in Lebanon overnight, according to a statement published by the army on Telegram.

“No findings related to him were located at the search site,” it said, adding that the search will continue “relentlessly, day and night”.

The Times of Israel newspaper said Arad, who is presumed dead, disappeared when he ejected from his plane over Lebanon in 1986. The overnight raid occurred in the east of the country.

As we have reported earlier, at least 26 people were killed in Israeli air and ground attacks overnight on the Lebanese town of Nabi Chit, in the eastern Bekaa Valley.

At least 41 people killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon’s Nabi Chit: Ministry

The number of people killed in Israeli air and ground raids on the Lebanese town of Nabi Chit in the eastern Bekaa Valley has risen to 41, according to the country’s Health Ministry.

The ministry also said the number of injured people reached 40.

Netanyahu confirms Israeli airborne raid on Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that Israeli forces carried out an attack the town of Nabi Chit in the Bekaa Valley overnight, which killed at least 41 people, according to Lebanese health authorities.

In a statement on X, Netanyahu said Israeli soldiers had conducted a special mission in the area aimed at locating the remains of Ron Arad, an Israeli airman captured in Lebanon about 40 years ago.

He added that the attack “did not bring the findings we were looking for”.

Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health also said that at least 40 were wounded in Israeli air and ground raids on the town.

Hezbollah said its fighters observed four Israeli military helicopters entering the area from the direction of Syria and said advancing Israeli troops were engaged near the town’s cemetery.

Israel launches rare airborne raid in Lebanon in search of deceased pilot

Lebanon’s health ministry has confirmed that at least 41 people have been killed in armed confrontations between Hezbollah and Israeli soldiers in the Bekaa Valley – along the border with Syria.

The incursion was carried out to search for the body of a deceased Israeli pilot who went missing decades ago.

Israel claims to have destroyed Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, Bekaa Valley

Israel’s army says its overnight attacks on southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley have targeted rocket launchers, weapons storage facilities, and additional military sites belonging to the Hezbollah armed group.

The military statement on Telegram also said that, a day earlier, its forces struck unidentified commanders of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force and two command centres of the elite unit in southern Lebanon’s Majdal Selem area.

UN coordinator for Lebanon calls for ‘game changer’ talks with Israel

Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN special coordinator for Lebanon, has urged Lebanon and Israel to enter talks to negotiate an end to hostilities after the outbreak of a renewed Israel-Hezbollah war.

“As bad as things are today, they are set to get even worse,” she said. “Talks between Lebanon and Israel can be the game changer needed to save future generations from going, time and again, through the same nightmare.”

Israel orders displacement of residents in Lebanon’s Tyre city

Israel’s army has issued a forced displacement order for some residents of the coastal Lebanese city of Tyre, saying its forces are due to hit a number of buildings marked on a map attached to the warning.

The statement published by the army’s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee claimed six buildings that are going to be attacked imminently belong to Hezbollah.

Hezbollah issues evacuation call to Israeli city residents near border

Hezbollah ⁠has told ⁠residents of a northern Israeli city close ‌to the border with Lebanon to evacuate and ⁠head south.

“Warning. All ⁠residents of Kiryat Shmona ⁠are asked ⁠to evacuate ⁠immediately. Head south,” it said ‌in a statement.

Israeli army issues forced displacement threat for Lebanon residents south of Litani River

The Israeli army has issued its latest forced displacement threat for people in southern Lebanon.

In a post on X, it threatened residents who are based south of Litani River, warning that it is operating with “great force” in the area.

“Remaining south of the Litani River may endanger your lives and the lives of your families,” it said.

Four children among six killed in Israeli attack on Lebanon’s Shmestar town: Ministry

Israel has attacked the Lebanese town of Shmestar in the Baalbek-Hermel governorate, killing six people, according to the country’s Health Ministry.

Four children and a woman are among those killed, it added.

UN chief, Ghana condemn attack on peacekeepers in Lebanon

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Ghana have condemned Friday’s attack on a UN base in southern Lebanon that seriously wounded three Ghanaian UN peacekeepers.

Ghana said it had lodged a formal complaint with the UN. It demanded “that those responsible be identified and held accountable, as the attack constitutes a grave violation of international law, amounts to war crime and affronts the protections afforded to United Nations peacekeeping personnel”.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has accused Israel of targeting them, and the UN peacekeeping force has said it will investigate.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Guterres “condemns the incident on Friday, March 6, which resulted in three Ghanaian peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) being injured inside their position in Al Qawzah, southwestern Lebanon”.

“The secretary-general underscores that the safety and security of UN personnel and property must be respected at all times, and that those responsible must be held accountable. The inviolability of UN installations must be respected by all.”

In its formal complaint to the UN, the Ghanaian government called for a “full, immediate, impartial and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack on personnel deployed in the service of international peace and security”.

Germany condemns ‘unacceptable’ targeting of UNIFIL forces in Lebanon

German Foreign Ministry has condemned Friday’s attack on a UN base in southern Lebanon that seriously wounded three Ghanaian UN peacekeepers.

“Targeting UN peacekeepers is unacceptable. We clearly condemn the strike on a UNIFIL base in southern Lebanon that has left several Ghanaian peacekeepers wounded. We urge all actors to ensure the safety and security of UN peacekeepers at all times,” the statement published on X said.

Lebanon condemns attack on UN peacekeepers

Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the shelling of a UN peacekeeping position in southern Lebanon.

In a statement, the ministry said the headquarters of the Ghanaian battalion serving with UNIFIL in the town of Qouzah was shelled overnight. Three peacekeepers were injured in the attack, one of them critically, and were transferred to a hospital in Beirut for treatment, the ministry said.

While the circumstances of the incident are still under investigation by UNIFIL, the ministry condemned the attack “in the strongest terms”. It added that the incident constitutes a serious violation of international law.

Hezbollah claims attack on Israeli army base

The Lebanese group has said it carried out two attacks targeting Israeli positions earlier today.

In separate statements, Hezbollah said it launched a missile barrage at the Tzrifin base east of the Israeli city of Acre at 9:45am local time (07:45 GMT).

Hezbollah also said its fighters fired rockets at a gathering of vehicles near the Fatima Gate crossing in the Lebanese border town of Kfar Kila at 12:30pm local time (10:30 GMT).

The group said the attacks were carried out in response to what it described as Israeli strikes across Lebanon.

Lebanese president holds call with France’s Macron

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has held a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron as part of ongoing consultations to halt Israel’s military escalation.

According to the Lebanese presidency on X, the two leaders discussed the latest developments as Israeli attacks continue to fall on several areas across Lebanon.

It comes after Macron previously pledged to strengthen cooperation with the Lebanese armed forces and provide them with armored transport vehicles, along with additional humanitarian aid for the tens of thousands of Lebanese civilians fleeing the south.

Aoun was also briefed by Lebanese army commander General Rodolphe Haykal on the security situation, including Israeli bombardment of the town of Nabi Chit in the Bekaa Valley that the presidency said caused casualties and widespread destruction.

Separately, Aoun received a call from Spain’s King Felipe VI, who expressed solidarity with the Lebanese people, according to the presidency.

Death toll from Israeli strikes on Lebanon rises to 294

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA), citing the Health Emergency Operations Center of the Ministry of Public Health, added that since Monday, March 2, 1,023 people have been wounded.

Israel continues to pound the country with air attacks, most recently hitting the town of Zibdin in the Nabatieh area, according to the NNA, at about 4pm local time (14:00 GMT).

Hezbollah says it fired rockets at Israeli base near Safed

Hezbollah says it launched a rocket barrage at an Israeli military base earlier today.

In a statement, the group said its fighters targeted the Ein Zeitim base in northern Israel, at about 1:15pm local time (11:15 GMT).

Hezbollah says the attacks are being carried out in response to Israeli strikes on several Lebanese cities and towns, including Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Germany announces nearly more than $100m in regional aid as Middle East tensions rise

Germany says it will provide nearly 100 million euros ($108m) in additional humanitarian support for the region as the situation in Lebanon worsens amid ongoing Israeli strikes.

In a post on social media, the German Foreign Office said the funding was aimed at helping the growing number of internally displaced people in the region.

The announcement comes a day after Germany said it had withdrawn additional Bundeswehr troops from the Middle East as tensions escalate during the seventh day of the Israeli-US war on Iran.

A military spokesperson said that German soldiers deployed with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon were being pulled out due to security concerns.

Israel reiterates evacuation warning for Beirut’s southern suburbs

The Israeli military has issued a renewed evacuation warning for residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs, urging those who have not yet left to evacuate immediately.

In a post on X, an Israeli army spokesperson said residents should follow previously issued evacuation instructions and warned that remaining in the area could endanger their lives.

The southern suburbs of Beiurt are home to hundreds out thousands of people.

Israel says hits more than 170 sites in Lebanon in last 48 hours

The Israelis are claiming that they have hit “more than 300” targets in Iran in that same time period.

Hezbollah claims ambush of Israeli soldiers in south Lebanon

The group says on Telegram it launched a “surprise attack” on Israeli soldiers on the outskirts of the town of Khiam, very near the Israel-Lebanon border, early this morning.

Israel ordered troops to advance into Lebanon after Hezbollah fired a rocket barrage at Israel overnight on Monday, kicking off a devastating wave of Israeli air strikes across the country.

Two Israeli soldiers wounded in Lebanon

The Israeli military said two of its soldiers from the Givati Brigade were “moderately wounded” on Friday as a result of antitank fire while inside southern Lebanon.

The soldiers were evacuated to hospital, the military said.

Israel kills 45 in Lebanon today, Health Ministry says

In its most recent casualty update, the Lebanese Health Ministry says that this brings the total death toll since Monday, March 2, to at least 339 people.

At least 117 people were wounded as well, the ministry added.

In addition, there are 112,525 displaced people currently in shelters.

Israeli army carries out more strikes on Lebanon

The Israeli army continues to pound the country, claiming it is hitting Hezbollah targets, while the country’s health ministry says more than 330 people have been killed since Monday, March 2.

Meanwhile, the entire southern suburbs of Beirut, home to hundreds of thousands, have once again been threatened by the Israeli army today.

In the past several minutes, our team in Lebanon reports that the Israeli army has carried out air strikes on the Jennata Heights area in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, as well as the towns of Doueir, Ansar and Jebchit in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah announces new attacks on Israel

The Lebanese group says on Telegram that it has bombed the Tel Hashomer base southeast of Tel Aviv with a “specialised missile”.

It also said that it had attacked a group of Israeli army vehicles at the Hounin gate, opposite the Lebanese village of Markaba.

Families of Iranian embassy staff leave Beirut

The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced the evacuation of families of Iranian embassy staff in Lebanon and a number of other Iranians due to the security situation there.

Israel issued a threat against Iranians still in the Lebanese capital earlier this week.

Hezbollah claims series of drone, rocket attacks on northern Israel

Lebanon’s Hezbollah says it carried out several attacks targeting cities in northern Israel on Saturday.

In a series of statements, the group said it launched a swarm of drones targeting the coastal city of Nahariya at about 1:40pm local time (11:40 GMT).

Later in the evening, the group said it targeted the city again, first with what it described as a rocket-propelled grenade at about 8:00pm local time (18:00 GMT), followed by a rocket barrage 15 minutes later.

Earlier, Hezbollah also said it carried out a drone attack targeting the city of Kiryat Shmona.

Hezbollah says it targeted Kiryat Shmona with rocket fire

Lebanon’s Hezbollah says it carried out an attack targeting the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona on Saturday night.

In a statement, the group said the attack took place at about 9:30pm local time (19:30 GMT) and involved what it described as a rocket-propelled grenade.

Earlier, Hezbollah said it had launched a swarm of drones targeting the same city at about 5:30pm local time (15:30 GMT).

Netanyahu tells Lebanon to enforce 2024 ceasefire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told Lebanon it is up to them to enforce the 2024 ceasefire agreement.

“Your responsibility is to disarm Hezbollah,” he said in a video statement. “If you do not do this, Hezbollah’s aggression will result in disastrous repercussions for Lebanon. It is time for you to take your destiny into your own hands. We will do all that is necessary to defend our communities and citizens.”

Israel continued to strike Lebanon, including its capital, at will during the entire period between the 2024 “ceasefire” and the resumption of open hostilities on Monday, March 2.

On December 5, 2024, and within hours of 04:00 am that the ceasefire was coming into effect, Israelis opened fire on cars with people inside who wanted to return to their homes.

On December 6 and 7, 2024, his troops killed seven civilians.

Then, if Netanyahu didn't have the desire to have the Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei assassinated with the knowledge that Hezbollah certainly will respond, there wouldn't be a war in the Middle East at all.

Israeli doctrine has always been "If we are criticized, we will blame the victim." Now, from who do the Israelis have it, and who imported this to British Mandatory Palestine?

About 454,000 registered as displaced in Lebanon

Lebanon’s social affairs minister, Haneen Sayed, has announced that approximately 454,000 Lebanese people have registered as displaced.

She urged those who have not yet registered to do so, and said the Sports City Stadium in Beirut would be opened as a shelter for families in the municipality. There are also multiple shelters in Akkar.

Sayed added that “hot meals and food rations are being distributed in various Lebanese regions in cooperation with organizations and associations, with numbers increasing gradually to ensure no person is left without food.”

Israel again bombs Beirut’s southern suburbs, kills 2 in South Lebanon

Lebanon’s National News Agency and our correspondent on the ground report that the Israeli army has carried out a “violent” attack on the Haret Hreik neighborhood.

The Israeli army announced a short while ago that it had begun attacking targets in the area.

Elsewhere, in southern Lebanon, the Health Ministry says that two people were killed in an Israeli air strike on the town of Kafr Rumman in the Nabatieh area.

Hezbollah claims rocket attack on Nahariya, artillery fire near border

Hezbollah says it carried out attacks targeting northern Israel and Israeli troops near the Lebanon border this evening.

In a statement, the group said it launched a rocket salvo towards the Israeli coastal city of Nahariya at about 10:40pm local time (20:40 GMT).

Hezbollah also said its fighters fired artillery at Israeli forces after what it described as an attempted advance by Israeli troops near the Lebanese border village of Aitaroun at about 8:40pm local time (18:40 GMT).