Hezbollah launched a series of attacks on Israeli forces across southern Lebanon as Israeli strikes intensified in Sidon, Tyre, Nabatieh and other areas, killing several people and deepening fears of a wider escalation.
The violence comes just before US-mediated Israel-Lebanon talks are scheduled to resume, beginning with a technical meeting between military officials.
The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah carried out multiple attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.
According to Lebanon’s official National News Agency, Hezbollah fired a rocket barrage at Israeli army vehicles parked near the town hall of al-Qussair in the Marjayoun District.
Hezbollah also launched a missile strike on a building in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah that it said housed “the secret command of the armed vehicles” near the reservoir.
The group said an Ababil attack helicopter also struck an Israeli Merkava tank stationed near the town’s pond.
NNA also reported that Hezbollah’s Ababil attack helicopters hit “the Numira mechanism” in the town of Qantara, achieving what it described as a confirmed hit.
Israeli attack kills three in Sidon
Lebanese medical rescue teams recovered the bodies of three people killed in an Israeli attack on an apartment in the Qiyaa area of Sidon at dawn.
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, medic volunteers also transported five wounded people to hospitals in the city.
Israeli attacks continued across southern Lebanon, with strikes reported in major cities and towns. Reports from the ground said multiple Israeli strikes targeted Nabatieh and Tyre. The municipalities of Harouf and Jebchit in Nabatieh were hit in an air attack.
Another Israeli air strike targeted the municipality of al-Mansouri in Tyre.
Two killed in Israeli drone attack on Tyre
At least two people were killed in a targeted Israeli drone attack on the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, according to NNA. The victims were riding a motorcycle when they were hit.
The strike added to a wave of bombardment that has shaken Tyre and nearby areas since Wednesday evening.
Six killed on Adloun Highway
At least six people, including children, were killed in an Israeli drone attack on the Adloun Highway in the Nabi Sari area of southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that the victims were members of the same family.
They were killed while trying to flee threatened villages for a safer area at dawn. The Adloun Highway is a critical coastal stretch of the main road linking Sidon and Tyre in southern Lebanon.
Tyre has faced repeated Israeli strikes since early Wednesday evening. Explosions have caused widespread damage, with residential neighborhoods hit and buildings levelled to the ground.
The Israeli army says it is targeting Hezbollah infrastructure, but areas sheltering civilians and displaced families have also been struck.
Tyre and its surrounding areas had been hosting tens of thousands of displaced people from other parts of southern Lebanon.
Many residents left the city after the Israeli army issued a forced displacement order covering the entire city of Tyre, nearby areas and the region south of the Zahrani River.
Ceasefire fails to calm Lebanon
Many displaced people had returned to their homes after a ceasefire came into force in mid-April. However, in southern Lebanon, the ceasefire has largely failed to stop the fighting.
Since midnight, more than a dozen strikes have hit Tyre and surrounding areas. At dawn, at least seven air strikes struck densely populated neighborhoods inside the city within one hour.
Rescue operations are ongoing. Witnesses described the strikes as extremely loud, saying the blasts shook buildings in the area.
By morning, the city appeared largely empty, with families absent from the coastline where they would usually gather. However, some displaced people remain in Tyre.
Israel says hitting Hezbollah infrastructure
Israel’s military said it had begun striking Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon’s Tyre region. The Israeli military also said sirens sounded in northern Israel due to hostile aircraft activity.
It said one soldier was killed and two others were injured during operations.
Talks to resume despite escalation
US-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon are scheduled to resume tomorrow. The process will begin with a technical meeting between military officials.
Diplomatic talks are expected to take place during the first week of June. However, Israel has significantly expanded its ground operations over the past two days.
Israel is trying to cross the Litani River, going far beyond the scope of operations many people in southern Lebanon had expected. It has established a yellow “security zone” about 10km, or 6.2 miles, deep inside Lebanese territory.
Israel appears to be trying to strengthen its position before talks begin.
Israel wants Hezbollah disarmed
Israel wants the Lebanese government to work with it to disarm Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. It says Lebanon has not done enough since 2024, when the parties reached a deal to establish a joint mechanism.
The Lebanese government, however, is struggling with a growing humanitarian crisis and a situation that has become difficult to manage with available resources. It remains unclear how the upcoming talks will proceed.
The war between Hezbollah and Israel erupted on March 2. Hezbollah fired into Israel in support of Tehran after the US-Israeli war on Iran began two days earlier.
Israel responded with a full air and ground campaign. On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would escalate strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
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