Lebanese media reported a series of Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon overnight Wednesday, amid continuing tensions along the border and an ongoing confrontation around a strategic Hezbollah stronghold.
Strikes were reported at several locations, including the al-Dabsheh area near Nabatieh, the village of Qantara and the outskirts of Srebbine. Lebanon’s An-Nahar newspaper reported additional strikes near Kfar Roummane and said explosions were heard around Khiam.
Lebanese media reported several strikes across the country's south
Israeli fighter jets were reported flying at low altitude over parts of southern Lebanon as explosions were heard at several locations.
Shortly before reports of the strikes emerged, the municipality of Kiryat Shmona, an Israeli city near the Lebanese border, told residents that additional IDF activity was expected in the area and that explosions might be heard.
“This is a planned operation by our forces,” the municipality said in a notice issued at 10:10 p.m. It said there were no special instructions for residents and that further guidance would be issued if the situation changed.
The overnight strikes followed IDF activity throughout Tuesday. Lebanese media have also reported Israeli strikes and operations in recent days near al-Dabsheh, Qantara and Srebbine.
Standoff at strategic Hezbollah stronghold
The latest strikes come amid continuing tensions in southern Lebanon and a confrontation around the Ali Taher ridge, considered one of Hezbollah’s key strategic positions in the sector.
The IDF maintains operational control over large parts of the surrounding area and access routes to a fortified underground Hezbollah complex.
Israeli assessments say dozens of Hezbollah operatives may be trapped inside the complex, along with officers from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has long provided Hezbollah with weapons, financing and training.
Israel has so far refrained from moving quickly to eliminate the complex, in part because of concerns that such an operation could provoke an Iranian response and trigger another broader escalation in the region.
Hezbollah drone attack seriously wounded Israeli troops
Tensions escalated sharply in mid-August after Hezbollah launched an explosive-laden attack drone at Israeli troops operating in southern Lebanon. An IDF officer and two soldiers were seriously wounded in the attack.
Israel responded by striking a series of Hezbollah targets in the Nabatieh and Ansar areas.
Lebanese media reported several strikes across the country's south
The IDF said one of those strikes killed Ali Samir al-Hajj Hassan, a battalion commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force. A senior commander in Hezbollah’s Badr unit was later killed in another strike. The military said that commander had been involved in efforts to launch drones at Israeli forces.
Lebanese authorities reported nine people killed that weekend in Israeli strikes around the Ali Taher ridge, Ansar and Nabatieh al-Fawqa.
The military said those strikes were carried out in response to Hezbollah activity against its troops in the area, which it described as a violation of the ceasefire.
Israeli strikes and ground activity subsequently continued in the area, while Hezbollah has sought to assist its operatives inside the ridge complex, including through the use of drones, according to Israeli assessments.
The IDF said this month that its operations in southern Lebanon had uncovered thousands of sites and pieces of infrastructure used by Hezbollah, including command centers, observation and staging positions, rocket launchers, underground facilities and weapons.