The situation in southern Lebanon has intensified again. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched powerful artillery and air strikes on the settlements of Zouar ash-Sharqiya and Zouar al-Gharbiya. Lebanese state media and independent monitoring channels have published footage clearly showing columns of smoke and explosions on the outskirts of these settlements.
Course of Hostilities
The settlements of Zouar, divided into eastern and western sectors, are located south of the city of Nabatieh. The area was subjected to intense shelling from the ground and air strikes. However, events unfolded in the format of an exchange of fire. Before the Israeli artillery began its work, the Hezbollah group published its own video of an attack.
Footage distributed by the militants recorded the use of loitering munitions — Ababil-type kamikaze drones. The target of the strike was a concentration of Israeli troops in the Zouar ash-Sharqiya area. The video demonstrates the moment of the attack and the reaction of IDF soldiers, who were forced to urgently seek cover.
Political Context and Collapse of Ceasefire
This escalation is taking place against the backdrop of an extremely fragile, effectively non-existent ceasefire agreement. Israel continues to strike Hezbollah launchers and infrastructure, stating that this is a response to regular rocket and drone launches from Lebanon.
Particular acuteness to the situation is added by a parallel political process. The escalation in southern Lebanon and recent Israeli strikes on Beirut coincide in time with the finalization of an agreement between the US and Iran. Tehran insists on an immediate and complete ceasefire in Lebanon, viewing this as a condition for stability in the region.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear that the IDF will continue military operations against Hezbollah regardless of the agreements reached by Washington with Tehran. This creates a dangerous gap between diplomatic efforts to de-escalate and the real picture on the battlefield.