Israeli airstrikes, artillery shelling hit southern Lebanon as military force advances into town

Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes and artillery shelling across southern Lebanon on Thursday, while an Israeli military force advanced toward the outskirts of Habbariyeh in the Al-Arqoub area, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA). Israeli warplanes struck the town of Kfar Tebnit in the Nabatieh district, while artillery fire targeted Mansouri and the Bayut al-Sayyad farm south of Tyre, the agency said. Israeli artillery also shelled Wadi Zibqin and, overnight, the area between Beit Yahoun and Baraachit in the Bint Jbeil district. In Habbariyeh, Israeli artillery fired six consecutive shells at the outskirts of the town as a military force advanced toward the area, according to NNA. The force, comprising around 20 soldiers and four tanks, moved toward the Nabaa al-Khoukh area on the outskirts of Habbariyeh in the Hasbaya district, opening machine-gun fire while carrying out searches. Four Merkava tanks were also seen moving around Nabaa al-Khoukh as the force advanced toward the town’s outskirts. Separately, an Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade near a fishing boat off Al-Amiriya, with no immediate reports of casualties. The attacks come as military technical meetings between Beirut and Tel Aviv continue after beginning Tuesday in the US state of Florida under American sponsorship. The meetings are aimed at reviewing implementation of the framework agreement and discussing “pilot areas” from which the Israeli army is expected to withdraw in southern Lebanon, according to Anadolu’s correspondent. The US-sponsored agreement reached between Beirut and Tel Aviv on June 26 calls for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory in exchange for the deployment of the Lebanese army and the disarmament of armed groups. It also introduced the principle of pilot areas for implementation, but has so far been applied only in three southern towns — Froun, Srifa and Zawtar al-Gharbiya in the Nabatieh district — while more than 50 towns remain occupied. Despite the agreement, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have continued, killing at least 4,386 people and injuring 12,407 others since March 2, while displacing more than 1 million people. Israel continues to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during the 2023-2024 war, while during the latest conflict Israeli forces advanced around 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) into Lebanese territory.