Israel's military has ordered residents across a large area of southern Lebanon to evacuate northward, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an escalation of the offensive against Hezbollah. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declared all areas south of the Zahrani River—approximately 40 kilometres north of the de facto Israel-Lebanon border—as combat zones, citing repeated ceasefire violations by Hezbollah.
Ceasefire Under Threat
The evacuation warning, issued late Wednesday, was the first since a US-brokered ceasefire took effect on 17 April. It came a day after Israel launched more than 120 airstrikes against Lebanon, one of the heaviest bombing days in weeks. The truce now appears close to total collapse, complicating negotiations to end the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, which maintains close ties with Hezbollah. Tehran has repeatedly signalled that ending Israel's offensive in Lebanon is a condition for any deal with Washington.
US President Donald Trump told reporters that Iran is keen to negotiate but that the US is not yet satisfied with the terms. "So far they haven't gotten there ... we're not satisfied with it, but we will be," he said, adding that either a deal will be reached or the US will "finish the job." Observers suggest Israeli officials aim to inflict maximum damage on Hezbollah before a potential Iran-US deal imposes new limits.
Strikes and Casualties
Israel's military said it targeted 100 Hezbollah-linked sites across southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa valley, including storage facilities, command centres, and observation points used to attack Israeli troops and northern communities. Lebanon's national news agency reported at least 10 people killed, including women and children, in a strike on Burj al-Shamali, while another strike on Mashghara killed 12, including several family members. Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces are "operating with large forces in the field and capturing and controlling areas" to fortify a security strip protecting northern Israel.
Hezbollah's Response
Hezbollah reported clashes with Israeli troops north of the Litani River, the current de facto boundary, with large areas to the south under Israeli control. The group boasted of using new fibre-optic drones that have evaded Israeli interception, hitting Israeli forces and villages. Air raid sirens were activated in the western Galilee after a drone infiltration. Netanyahu vowed to "increase the blows, increase the intensity" and "smite them hip and thigh."
Humanitarian Impact
Over 1 million people in Lebanon have been displaced since hostilities began in March, when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel after Israeli strikes killed Iran's former supreme leader. The Lebanese Health Ministry reports at least 3,213 deaths and over 9,700 wounded from Israeli strikes. Israeli casualties include 23 soldiers and a defence contractor killed, plus two civilians in northern Israel. Hezbollah has not disclosed its casualties. The conflict shows no signs of abating, with both sides entrenched and international mediation efforts faltering.
