Israeli airstrikes target several areas in southern Lebanon, casualties reported

SOUTHERN LEBANON — Amid growing public tension and fears of a new escalation along the Lebanon-Israel border, Israeli warplanes on Friday carried out a series of airstrikes targeting several areas in southern Lebanon, including Ali al-Taher, the heights of Kfar Tibnit and Nabiyeh Fawqa, and Mount Shaqif. The strikes, which involved the use of concussion missiles, triggered some of the most powerful explosions in weeks, sparking panic among local residents. 

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the airstrikes resulted in the death of one woman and injured 21 other people. 

The attacks coincided with an announcement by the Israeli army that it had assassinated a commander of the “Radwan Force”—a special military unit affiliated with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia—in a strike on the town of Braachit in southern Lebanon. A second strike in Beit Leif reportedly killed a member of Hezbollah’s surveillance unit. 

The Israeli military also stated on Friday that its aircraft targeted a Hezbollah site in the Beaufort Mountain range, which it claimed was being used to operate the group’s offensive and defensive missile systems. The military vowed to continue operations to eliminate what it described as threats to Israel’s security. 

Despite a ceasefire that has officially been in place since November 2024, Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon—particularly areas known to host Hezbollah presence—have continued unabated.