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Israel Intensifies Strikes in Southern Lebanon and Orders Mass Evacuations

Intensified strikes risk undermining reported USIran talks that negotiators say could include terms on ending the fighting in Lebanon.

Overview

  • Israeli air, drone and artillery strikes hit more than a dozen towns in southern Lebanon as the military issued evacuation orders for about 20 to 24 locations, urging residents to move north of the Zahrani River.
  • Hezbollah reported repelling Israeli advances near Majdal Zoun and said its fighters launched rockets, drones and ambushes against Israeli forces on the same front.
  • A senior Lebanese military official told the Associated Press that the Lebanese army withdrew troops from a base at Kfar Tebnit after nearby Israeli advances toward strategic high ground.
  • Lebanese health and state agencies report thousands of dead and widespread displacement since March with hospitals and homes damaged and aid access increasingly constrained by repeated evacuation orders.
  • Diplomatically, Pakistan and Iranian outlets and some US officials say the United States and Iran are close to a draft framework that could address Lebanon, but the deal’s scope is disputed and ongoing fighting could derail any agreement.