Overview
- Israeli forces seized the medieval Beaufort fortress and nearby positions, a move Netanyahu called a turning point, after an advance that crossed the Litani River and continued deeper into southern Lebanon on Sunday.
- Jerusalem has ordered an expanded ground campaign, released footage of troops inside Beaufort, warned it will strike Hezbollah strongholds in the Dahiyeh (southern Beirut) area, and ordered evacuations of multiple south-Lebanon villages.
- Hezbollah has continued to fire rockets, drones and anti-armor missiles at northern Israel and to claim attacks on Israeli forces inside Lebanon, producing nightly clashes despite public assertions of a pause by President Donald Trump.
- Diplomatic drives are under strain as U.S.–Iran indirect talks remain disputed, France pressed for an emergency UN Security Council meeting, and the UN secretary-general proposed keeping a smaller uniformed presence after FINUL departs in late 2026.
- The offensive has caused heavy civilian harm in Lebanon, with Beirut reporting thousands killed and over one million displaced since March, and the latest operations are triggering fresh internal displacement and fear among Beirut suburbs and south-Lebanon residents.