The Israel Air Force conducted a series of airstrikes concentrating on the Beirut and Tyre areas of Lebanon, as dozens of barrages hit northern Israel over the weekend, including a direct hit in Nahariya and on a synagogue in Haifa on Saturday night.
The IDF announced on Saturday the death of Sergeant Ori Nisanovich, 21, from Jerusalem, who was killed in combat in southern Lebanon. He served in the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion.
The wave of IAF airstrikes on Lebanon throughout the weekend attacked Hezbollah terror targets, including a weapons storage facility, a command center, and terrorist infrastructure.
Included in the airstrikes were attacks on Dahiyeh, a key Hezbollah terrorist stronghold in Beirut, where it has systematically embedded its terrorist infrastructure amid the Lebanese civilian population, the military said.
IDF Arabic spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee had earlier warned Lebanese civilians in Dahiyeh’s Haret Hreik municipality on X/Twitter to evacuate on Saturday morning. Shortly after the announcement, Kan said there were reports of a strike in the neighborhood.
After being warned they were near Hezbollah infrastructure that would soon be targeted, the IDF official instructed civilians to move no less than 500 meters from the sites.
At around Saturday midday, Adraee posted another warning on X, emphasizing that residents of the southern suburban areas in Beirut, specifically Haret Hreik and Ghobeiry, were “located near facilities and interests affiliated with Hezbollah.”
The spokesperson further stressed that the IDF will target these areas “in the near future.”
Shortly after, Adraee posted another warning on X, stating that residents in several villages in south Lebanon “must evacuate [their] homes immediately and move north of the Awali River.” Adraee listed the following villages: Kafr Hamam, Kafr Shuba, Burj al-Muluk, Khiam, Blat, Debbin, Arnoun, Yuhmur, Deir Siryan, Taybeh, Qasbiya, Mazraat Koutheriyeh al-Rouz, Himyari, Matariyet al-Shumar, and Kafr Tibnine.
In his post, the IDF Arabic spokesperson wrote that Hezbollah terrorist activities are forcing the military “to take strong action in these areas,” further emphasizing that the army does “not intend to harm” Lebanese civilians. Moreover, Adraee said, “Anyone near Hezbollah members, their facilities, or weapons is putting their life at risk.”
The IDF later reported that troops from Divisions 36 and 91 have located and destroyed weapons depots, tunnels, and Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon in the last 24 hours with the assistance of the IAF.
Directed by Fire Brigade 282, the air force targeted a military compound housing multiple rocket launchers that had fired numerous rockets toward western Galilee over the past week, the military added.
US truce attempts
The latest strikes come as the US attempts to broker a truce agreement between Israel and Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, the Commando Brigade of the 91st Division has conducted precise, small-scale raids in southern Lebanon, targeting areas linked to recent rocket fire on Israeli communities, the IDF reported on Saturday.
These operations, carried out in challenging terrain, involved airstrikes, tank fire, and specialized equipment to eliminate Hezbollah infrastructure and destroy weapon systems.
During the raids, the 7th Armored Brigade discovered an underground weapons storage facility containing crates of explosives, ammunition, and grenades.
The entire cache was destroyed using controlled explosives. Additionally, the IDF reported it seized a truck equipped with a mobile rocket launcher aimed at Israeli areas.
Further searches by the Commando Brigade uncovered significant Hezbollah military assets, including anti-tank missiles, mortar shells, and combat vests.
Over 25 crates of new rockets, prepared for immediate launch according to the IDF, were also found. All discovered weapons and infrastructure were either seized or destroyed, further disrupting Hezbollah’s offensive capabilities in the region.