Full story
Tanks advance, strikes hit
In southern Lebanon, an Al-Manar correspondent said that "Two Merkava tanks belonging to the Israeli enemy have advanced into Khallat al-Arja" on the outskirts of Haddatha, moving toward Haris, about 6 hours before the report.
“In the south of the Litani River, the Israeli army is consolidating its territorial grip in spite of the ceasefire reached at the end of November 2024 with Hezbollah”
The same Al-Manar bulletin said the Israeli enemy carried out a bombing in the vicinity of Zawtar al-Gharbiya in southern Lebanon, while it also cited an updated Lebanese Health Ministry toll of "4,324 martyrs, 12224 injuries" since March 2.
Anadolu Ajansi reported that Hezbollah announced the destruction of four Israeli tanks as part of eight attacks in southern Lebanon, including clashes that forced an Israeli force to withdraw from the outskirts of Mijdal Zoun after hours of fighting.
Anadolu Ajansi also said Hezbollah stated its operations came "in defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to Israeli violations of the ceasefire" and described phosphorus shells and rocket salvos during the clashes around Mijdal Zoun.
Ceasefire claims and counterclaims
Al-Jazeera Net reported that eight people were killed in predawn hours of Friday in an Israeli airstrike that targeted Harouf in the Nabatieh District of southern Lebanon, citing the Lebanese Civil Defense for Al Jazeera.
Al-Jazeera Net also said that Hezbollah announced it had spotted an Israeli force attempting to infiltrate toward the northern part of Ali al‑Taher high ground and that it "destroying three Merkava tanks with guided missiles" while the clashes were still ongoing.
In parallel, Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat said Hezbollah announced that its fighters destroyed three Israeli tanks with guided missiles, after observing an Israeli force consisting of an armored unit and an infantry unit attempting to move toward the northern side of Mount Ali al‑Tahir.
Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat further reported that the Israeli army announced on Thursday the death of one of its soldiers and injuries to seven others "during fighting" in southern Lebanon, while UNIFIL reported exchanges of fire, with Stéphane Dujarric saying "as of now (Thursday) 143 projectiles had been fired".
Negotiations and the next phase
On the diplomatic front, Al-Jazeera Net said the Lebanese presidency reported that President Michel Aoun chaired a preparatory meeting for negotiations to begin on June 23, with directives including "the final ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories they occupy" and the deployment of the Lebanese army up to the international border.
“Eight people were killed in the predawn hours of Friday in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the town of Harouf in the Nabatieh District of southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Civil Defense for Al Jazeera”
Al-Jazeera Net also reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israeli forces will not withdraw from southern Lebanon as long as Israel’s security needs require it, pledging to restore security to the north while maintaining what he described as the "security zone" in Lebanon.
Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat said Hezbollah’s Na'im Qassem described the U.S.-Iranian understanding as a "great victory" for Tehran and said it should be leveraged to expel Israel, while it also quoted MP Mohammed Raad calling the enemy’s war to eradicate resistance in Lebanon a failure.
In the background of these political steps, Anadolu Ajansi said the toll of casualties from the Israeli aggression against Lebanon since March 2 rose to 3,711 killed and 11,483 wounded on Thursday, as Hezbollah framed its attacks as responses to Israeli violations of the ceasefire and attacks on villages in southern Lebanon.
