A massive wave of Israeli airstrikes hit southern Lebanon on Thursday, targeting multiple towns including Kfar Dounine, Al Taybeh, Tayr Debba, Aita al Jabal, and Zawtar al Sharqiya. The bombardment one of the heaviest in recent months shattered what remained of the fragile ceasefire deal reached nearly a year ago, intended to halt hostilities and ensure Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
Eyewitnesses described intense explosions and thick plumes of smoke rising from residential areas as Israeli warplanes carried out successive raids. Local media reported casualties and severe damage to civilian infrastructure, including homes, roads, and power networks. Ambulances rushed through debris strewn streets as families fled their homes in panic.
Lebanese authorities condemned the attacks as a “flagrant violation of sovereignty”, accusing Israel of deliberately targeting populated zones. “These strikes prove that Israel has no respect for international law or the sanctity of civilian life,” a security official in Nabatieh said. The Lebanese government called on the United Nations and the international community to intervene and pressure Israel to end its ongoing aggression.
According to monitoring groups, Israel has committed over 5,000 violations of Lebanese airspace and territory since the ceasefire agreement was signed, conducting near daily reconnaissance and strikes. Despite international calls for restraint, Israel continues to maintain illegal military positions inside Lebanese land, particularly in border zones near Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shouba.
The attacks come amid heightened regional tensions, as Israel faces growing pressure over its ongoing war in Gaza and border clashes with Hezbollah. Analysts warn that the strikes in Lebanon could mark a dangerous escalation toward a wider confrontation that might drag the region into a new phase of conflict.
UNIFIL peacekeepers stationed along the Blue Line urged both sides to de escalate, but residents of southern Lebanon remain fearful. “Every night we hear the jets,” said one displaced resident from Tayr Debba. “We don’t know if we’ll wake up tomorrow.”
For Lebanon already grappling with economic collapse and political paralysis another war would be catastrophic. Yet as the bombs fall again across its southern towns, the promises of ceasefire and stability seem increasingly distant.
