Israeli Strikes Hit Southern Lebanon as Tanks Advance; IDF Says Over 540 Sites Destroyed

Israeli forces carried out airstrikes, artillery fire and demolitions across southern Lebanon on Friday, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. The operations targeted areas including Mansouri in the Tyre district, the outskirts of Bint Jbeil, and the Srebbine and Zibqin valleys. In the Nabatieh district, the agency reported two simultaneous large explosions by Israeli forces, one near a school in Kfar Tebnit and one in Zawtar al-Sharqiya toward Nabatieh al-Fawqa. Türkiye Today, citing the agency, reported that the attacks continued despite a U.S.-sponsored “Framework Agreement” signed by Beirut and Tel Aviv on June 26, which called for a gradual Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese army.

Türkiye Today also reported that near Kfar Shuba, an Israeli military bulldozer advanced toward the town’s southern outskirts alongside two tanks and several other vehicles. Artillery fire struck the Jarmaq area in the Jezzine district and the outskirts of Kfar Shuba. An Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade on the outskirts of Khiam, though no immediate reports of casualties or damage were available.

Türkiye Today cited official Lebanese government figures showing that since March 2, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have resulted in 4,389 deaths and 12,424 injuries. These figures are attributed to the Lebanese government and were not independently verified in the reports supplied. Caring for the wounded and the families of the dead is part of the human cost behind these numbers, and the Christian call to defend the weak applies here (Psalm 82:3).

The Israeli Defense Forces, in a statement reported by Walla News, said that the 91st Division had recently dismantled more than 540 pieces of what it called terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon. According to the IDF, the operations took place in Al-Khaim, Tir Kharafa, Miss al-Jabal and Majdal Zuen. The IDF said more than 150 weapons were found during these activities, including rockets, anti-tank missiles and other arms. These are the military’s claims, and the reports supplied do not independently confirm them. A third report, from JDN, was available only as a truncated headline referring to more than 540 pieces of terror infrastructure destroyed in four villages, and its full text was not included in the material supplied.

The IDF said the operations were conducted in accordance with international law and aimed at disrupting the capabilities of hostile groups. It said the targeted locations were areas where such infrastructure was previously known to exist. The military did not provide specific casualty figures, focusing instead on the destruction of infrastructure and the removal of weapons. It also said it had maintained a presence in the region to monitor and neutralize potential threats.

The IDF stated that the operations were carried out with the goal of minimizing civilian casualties.