The Israeli army renewed its push around the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh on Thursday, advancing toward the strategic Ali al-Taher heights after pounding the area with dozens of strikes over the past two years. Lebanese security assessments indicate Israel is targeting tunnels and facilities allegedly belonging to Iran-backed Hezbollah.
This latest advance follows a similar move two weeks earlier, when Israeli forces reached Beaufort Castle east of Nabatieh and expanded their positions around it. Their next target, Ali al-Taher hill, is among the last strategic heights overlooking Nabatieh from the west, with sightlines extending toward occupied Lebanese towns and Galilee settlements in northern Israel.
Troops Seize Ground Near Kfar Tebnit
Witnesses spotted Israeli military vehicles and bulldozers at the Zafata site in Kfar Tebnit, on the main road linking Marjayoun to Nabatieh. Reports indicate Israeli forces seized the town’s eastern and central neighborhoods amid widespread destruction, while tanks subsequently advanced into Nabatieh al-Fawqa, southeast of Nabatieh city.
According to security sources, this push aims to widen Israel’s “fire safety zone” and prevent Hezbollah fighters from launching drones and guided missiles at advancing armor. Asharq Al-Awsat reported that the expansion was designed to push fighters away from Beaufort Castle, thereby clearing space for vehicles to move toward the heights unimpeded.
Since Zafata sits just two kilometers from Ali al-Taher, sources believe seizing the hill remains Israel’s central objective, particularly given months of bunker-buster and concussion bomb strikes that have fueled suspicions of underground Hezbollah facilities there.
Heavy Strikes Precede Ground Movements
Ahead of the advance, Israeli warplanes struck wooded areas in Jarmaq and Kfar Rumman overnight, while artillery intensified across the surrounding region, a pattern typically associated with territorial pushes. Strikes also hit Qatrani near Jezzine’s Shbeil School, Ali al-Taher woods, areas near Al-Najdeh Al-Shaabiya Hospital, and the Kfar Rumman roundabout.
Elsewhere, Israeli forces tested Hezbollah’s defenses in the western sector’s Mansouri area, though vehicles advancing from Tayr Harfa and Shama quickly retreated. Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli vehicle and troop gatherings near Tayr Harfa with rockets.
Local media reported an attempted Israeli advance toward Majdal Zoun, accompanied by more than 15 airstrikes on Majdal Zoun and Wadi Hassan. However, overnight clashes with Hezbollah fighters using rocket-propelled grenades and a loitering drone forced Israeli troops to retreat. Artillery resumed shelling Wadi Hassan on Thursday morning as warplanes and drones flew overhead.
Casualties Reported in Tyre
Meanwhile, an Israeli airstrike on a residential building near Hiram Hospital in Tyre killed one person and wounded 17 others, including 10 nurses and hospital staff, after flying glass from shattered windows caused injuries. The blast also damaged patient and emergency room ceilings and destroyed staff vehicles in the courtyard.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said separate strikes on Tayr Debba, also in the Tyre district, killed nine people, including a woman, and wounded 10 others.
For its part, the Israeli army said its 91st Brigade had killed 35 Hezbollah militants over the past week, destroyed a hidden rocket launcher, and seized weapons including rockets and RPG rounds during ongoing operations.
Additionally, the army issued a precautionary directive after detecting projectile launches from Lebanon toward northern Israel, urging residents to seek shelter when sirens sound.
