Strikes and Escalation
Lebanese media reported Israeli airstrikes on the Ali Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon overnight, according to The Times of Israel. The reported strikes came hours after local authorities in the Upper Galilee told residents to expect explosions due to IDF activity, and a day after three Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded by an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah. Israel has not confirmed the overnight strikes.
The reported strikes followed a Saturday morning attack on troops, in which three soldiers were wounded. Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a post on X: "No score on any front will remain unsettled," adding, "We will forcefully defend our soldiers and citizens."
Earlier Israeli strikes killed 11 people in Lebanon, according to Lebanese authorities, including three children and two women.
The Deaths of Hezbollah Commanders
The IDF reported that it had killed a senior Hezbollah commander in an airstrike in Deir al-Zahrani, apparently in response to the drone attack. The Times of Israel wrote that the Saturday morning strike killed Ali Muhammad Fakhr al-Din, also known as Abu Hassan Alaa, identified by the IDF as a senior commander in Hezbollah's Badr regional division, which is tasked with the area north of the Litani River. In a separate strike in Ansar, the IDF killed Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, a battalion commander in Hezbollah's Radwan Force, as reported by The Times of Israel.
Political Reactions
Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun accused Israel of sending a "clear message" ahead of US-sponsored negotiations, as reported by The Times. The Prime Minister's Office said that Hezbollah violated the ceasefire by attacking Israeli soldiers and acknowledged civilian casualties, claiming Hezbollah deliberately put civilians in a military compound. Hezbollah said strikes would be met with a reciprocal response and urged authorities to halt "humiliating" negotiations, according to The Times.
Israeli officials cautioned Lebanon against using the violence as an excuse to pull out of the talks. Ambassador Yechiel Leiter said that derailing the talks would hand victory to the enemies of peace. Netanyahu spokesman Doron Spielman said Israel wanted more ambitious talks and hoped the Lebanese Armed Forces would remove Hezbollah.
The framework agreement, announced June 26, six days after a truce went into effect, called for Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah's disarmament, but according to The Times, the group was not a party to the agreement and rejects disarmament.
IDF Infrastructure
According to The Jerusalem Post, Defense Minister Katz ordered the IDF to accelerate the destruction of Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon. The focus is on Hezbollah strongholds, mostly Shi'ite villages that, according to the IDF, were built with Iranian funding over two decades. Villages such as Kafr Kila, Khiam, Bint Jbeil, and Taibe are said to be located along strategic routes whose control prevents deep Israeli maneuvers.
The Jerusalem Post reported, citing Northern Command officers, that during searches the IDF uncovered facilities used by thousands of terrorists as shelters for extended periods, as well as weapons depots, command centers, and observation posts.
In addition to destroying infrastructure, the IDF is working to open new routes for easier access to operational areas, improve force security, and enable faster supply deliveries. Some villages, according to the same source, were built as military "fortresses," providing engineering protection, with infrastructure in civilian homes, in Zawtar al Sharqiya. Searches have also been carried out in smaller villages like Beit al Sayyad, south of Tyre.
The Jerusalem Post reported that security officials claim the Lebanese army has failed to achieve the expected engineering results and fears Hezbollah, so the IDF will need to continue engineering activity to collapse the infrastructure.
The Outlook
As the two reports show, the reported strikes and the killing of Hezbollah commanders occur against the backdrop of US-sponsored negotiations, where both sides have exchanged threats and criticism. The framework agreement aims at a full Israeli withdrawal and Hezbollah's disarmament, but Hezbollah has not joined the talks and rejects disarmament. The situation remains tense, with the Lebanese army's role and the pace of negotiations still under question.