Israel escalates Lebanon offensive with 120+ airstrikes and expanded ground operations, killing at least 31

A day of intense bombardment

Israel pounded southern and eastern Lebanon with more than 120 airstrikes on Tuesday in what Lebanese security sources described as one of the heaviest days of bombing in weeks. The Israeli military said it targeted over 100 Hezbollah-linked sites, including weapons storage facilities, command centres, and observation points across southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley. Lebanon's National News Agency reported strikes near the nearly 900-year-old Beaufort Castle, a UNESCO-recognised medieval fortress, and at least three strikes near the Qaraoun Dam, Lebanon's largest water reservoir.

We are fortifying the security strip to protect the northern communities.

Civilian toll and displacement

Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health said at least 31 people were killed and 40 wounded in Tuesday's attacks. In the southern town of Burj al-Shamali near Tyre, an airstrike killed at least 10 people, including women and children, while another strike on the eastern village of Mashghara killed 11 or 12 people, including several members of the same family. The Israeli military issued forced displacement orders for dozens of towns and villages, including the entire city of Nabatieh, urging residents to move north of the Zahrani River, some 40 kilometres from the border.

They are getting closer and closer every day.

Ground forces push beyond the Yellow Line

An Israeli military official confirmed that troops had begun operating beyond the so-called Yellow Line, a proposed buffer zone extending 5 to 10 kilometres into southern Lebanon. Netanyahu said the military was "operating with large forces in the field and capturing and controlling areas" to fortify a security strip protecting northern Israeli communities. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 32 operations on Tuesday, saying its fighters engaged in direct clashes and launched rocket, artillery, and drone strikes against Israeli forces, particularly around the town of Zawtar al-Sharqiya, targeting Merkava tanks, armoured vehicles, and an Iron Dome platform.

A ceasefire in tatters

The violence further frayed a US-brokered ceasefire that took effect on April 17, which was meant to halt fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. According to the World Health Organization, at least 608 people have been killed in Lebanon in Israeli attacks since the truce began. The cumulative death toll in Lebanon since the conflict started in March now exceeds 3,200, according to the country's health ministry. The escalation complicates US-Iran negotiations, as Tehran has repeatedly signalled that an end to Israel's offensive in Lebanon is a condition of any deal with Washington.

The ground in Lebanon must tremble. Residents of Beirut, Tyre and Sidon must sit in shelters just as residents of Israel's north are being forced to remain confined to their homes.

Regional and diplomatic fallout

Iranian officials condemned what they called "blatant violations" of the ceasefire by the United States after attacks on southern Iran on Monday, saying the strikes had further damaged already fragile diplomatic efforts. The escalation comes as President Trump and Iranian officials have signalled some progress toward a possible deal to end the US-Israeli war with Iran. Netanyahu, facing a tough re-election battle later this month, is under domestic pressure to show results against Hezbollah, with some Israeli commentators calling for sustained around-the-clock attack waves.