Netanyahu Orders Escalation as Israeli Air Strikes Hit Hezbollah in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered an escalation of attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon, telling viewers in a pre-recorded address, "We will not slow the pace of the attack; on the contrary, I have asked to accelerate it."

The Israeli army announced it had begun air strikes against Hezbollah in the Beqaa Valley and other areas in Lebanon, as Channel 12 reported the Israeli army began pulling some forces out of southern Lebanon over concerns about drones coming from Lebanon.

Al-Jarida Oman

In the same reporting, Channel 12 quoted an Israeli official as saying, "We have decided to strike a strong blow against Hezbollah."

The Al-Arabiya TV correspondent also noted four Israeli airstrikes on Zbeqin in the Tyre District, southern Lebanon, while the Israeli Broadcasting Authority said Hezbollah used for the first time an explosive drone equipped with fiber-optic technology and capable of night attacks, causing injuries to two soldiers.

The death toll from the Israeli aggression against Lebanon since March 2 rose to 3,185 dead and 9,633 wounded, after 34 dead and 62 injured were recorded in 24 hours, according to the same source.

CNN Arabic described Hezbollah’s use of a fiber-optic powered drone that it said flew over the rooftops of houses in southern Lebanon, weaving between ruined buildings and along dirt roads.

CNN Arabic quoted senior researcher Yehoshua Kalisky of the Institute for National Security Studies saying, "These drones are immune to communications jamming, and in the absence of an electronic fingerprint, it is also impossible to determine the launch site."

Al-Quds al-Arabi

The Israeli army said the attack killed Corporal Eidan Fox, 19, and wounded others, and CNN Arabic added that Hezbollah then fired additional drones at a rescue helicopter arriving to evacuate wounded soldiers.

In parallel, France 24 reported that Hezbollah said it targeted soldiers in northern Israel with a drone, and in a statement the pro-Iranian movement said it had targeted a gathering of soldiers of the Israeli army at the Rosh Hanikra site with a drone.

France 24 also said Galilee Medical Center noted that four people were injured following a strike by an explosive drone on the parking lot of the Rosh Hanikra site, with one person in critical condition.

As the drone threat intensified on the southern front in Lebanon, Meta-Defense said Israeli ground forces were equipping armored vehicles with anti-drone nets to mitigate attacks carried out by FPV-style drones used by Hezbollah.

“Islamic Resistance fighters targeted, at 18:30 on Monday, May 25, 2026, a vehicle belonging to the Israeli enemy army on the road to the Jall Al-Alam site with the Ababil loitering drone, which led to its burning: statement 21 Islamic Resistance fighters targeted at 16:05 on Monday 25-05-2026 a tent in which “Israeli” enemy army soldiers were positioned near the Hadb Al-Bustan site with an Ababil loitering glider [FPV]: statement 20 Islamic Resistance fighters targeted, at 15:00 on Monday, May 25, 2026, a building in the Shomera barracks, the headquarters of the Brigade 300 of the Israeli enemy army, with an Ababil loitering glider: statement 19 Islamic Resistance fighters targeted, at 18:30 on Monday, May 25, 2026, a vehicle belonging to the Israeli enemy army on the road to the Jall Al-Alam site with the Ababil loitering drone, which led to its burning: statement 21 Islamic Resistance fighters targeted at 16:05 on Monday 25-05-2026 a tent in which “Israeli” enemy army soldiers were positioned near the Hadb Al-Bustan site with an Ababil loitering glider [FPV]: statement 20 Islamic Resistance fighters targeted, at 15:00 on Monday, May 25, 2026, a building in the Shomera barracks, the headquarters of the Brigade 300 of the Israeli enemy army, with an Ababil loitering glider: statement 19”

Al-Manar TV Lebanon

Meta-Defense described the measure as temporary and limited, while raising questions about the effectiveness of active protection systems Trophy and Iron Fist installed on Merkava tanks and Nammer armored personnel carriers against this kind of threat.

In the same broader picture of escalation, i24NEWS said the IDF launched a new wave of strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in the Bekaa Valley, the Tyre region, and several other parts of Lebanon, and that the Israeli army said it had struck more than 70 Hezbollah facilities across Lebanon during the day using about 85 munitions.

i24NEWS also reported that footage from the southern suburb of Beirut showed hundreds of residents rushing to leave the Dahieh district, Hezbollah’s historic stronghold, after reports of a possible extension of Israeli strikes to the Lebanese capital.

On the diplomatic track, France 24 said Israeli and Lebanese negotiators met in Washington just days before the ceasefire between the two countries expires, with a U.S. official saying the discussions were "positive" and would continue as planned for a second day.