The Israel Defense Forces ordered the evacuation of everyone south of the Zahrani river, the largest such directive in recent history. The area was previously home to two million people, and the orders now cover almost half of Beirut. At least two bridges across the Litani river have been destroyed in recent weeks, and on 18 March the IDF announced it would strike remaining bridges, alleging Hezbollah used them for transport.
Israel responded with hundreds of strikes across Lebanon, mostly in the south, and there have been many strikes on Beirut, including the southern suburb of Dahiya, a Hezbollah stronghold with civilian residents. The IDF said troops have begun limited and targeted ground operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and Israeli media reported three divisions operating there, with two more to join. Axios reported Israel aiming to seize the entire area south of the Litani river.
Israeli fighter jets continue to strike towns and villages across southern Lebanon; state media said seven were killed including two paramedics on Monday. Two Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon, the Israeli military said. The IDF said it completed its largest coordinated strike across Lebanon, targeting over 100 Hezbollah sites, and densely populated parts of central Beirut were hit.
International human rights lawyer Geoffrey Nice KC said there is evidence the evacuation orders are unlawful. An IDF official stated they are following international law and doing everything to avoid civilian harm. Five international law experts consulted by SVT say extensive, sweeping destruction of villages cannot be justified by military necessity.
Professor Ove Bring said temporary displacement for a military zone is allowed, but total permanent destruction is prohibited. Yuval Shany said extensive destruction of villages solely due to location or history of hostility is illegal, but politicians' statements shouldn't be taken literally. Tom Dannenbaum said mass demolition of homes strongly suggests unlawful practice of long-term or permanent displacement.
Sally Longworth said extensive destruction not justified by military necessity may constitute a war crime. Mark Klamberg said military necessity must be balanced with civilian protection. Israeli defence secretary Israel Katz said those fleeing southern Lebanon will not return south of the Litani until northern Israel's safety is guaranteed.
Under a 2006 UN resolution, only Lebanese armed forces and UN peacekeepers are allowed south of the Litani river. Israel says it is seeking to enforce the UN resolution by removing Hezbollah from the region. Katz said Israel would maintain a security zone inside Lebanon for the foreseeable future.
Since 2024, the IDF has maintained at least five bases on Lebanese territory. UNIFIL spokesperson Candice Ardiel said the existence of these bases is a clear violation of the 2006 resolution. Hezbollah announced it fired rockets at an Israeli military position near the border town of Hula in response to Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon.
Extensive destruction of villages solely due to location or history of hostility is illegal, but politicians' statements shouldn't be taken literally.
The group also launched strikes on an Israeli missile defense site in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Hezbollah's attack on Wednesday night involved about 200 rockets and 20 drones, timed with an Iranian missile salvo. No one was killed in that attack, but extensive property damage occurred; 12 were killed in Israel by Iranian missiles in the war.
Hezbollah faces increasing grassroots discontent within its base and problems with Lebanese authorities. Some Lebanese Shiites openly blame Hezbollah for their current misery. A Lebanese mother of two criticized Hezbollah's decision to start the first strike.
Hezbollah formed in 1982 as a guerrilla force against Israeli occupation and played a role in ending the 18-year occupation in 2000. In 2006, Hezbollah ambushed Israeli soldiers, sparking a month-long war. Hezbollah began fighting in support of Iran on 1 March.
A senior Hezbollah official threatened the US and Israel with open war. Hezbollah also announced it targeted an Israeli Merkava tank near Kfar Kila and shot down an Israeli drone over Nabatieh. The group said it fired a salvo of missiles and a swarm of drones in retaliation for Khamenei's killing and to defend Lebanon.
Lebanon's president Joseph Aoun has been seeking talks with Israel to end the conflict. Senior Hezbollah officials said Lebanon has no interest in negotiating with the enemy while it is under fire. After Trump's ceasefire announcement, Israeli jets conducted a 10-minute blitz across Lebanon, killing at least 203 and wounding over 1,000.
Iran called the strikes a grave violation of the ceasefire deal and asked the US to halt Israeli aggression. Pakistan's PM announced a two-week ceasefire, with Pakistan to host parties with US and Iranian proposals. Iran's plan insists on cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including against Hezbollah.
Netanyahu and Trump said the ceasefire did not include Lebanon; Trump called it a separate skirmish. Lebanon began peace talks with Israel after the heaviest strikes this year. PM Nawaf Salam ordered the army to disarm Hezbollah in Beirut and begin negotiations with Jerusalem.
Netanyahu said negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and peaceful relations. Direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon will begin next week in Washington, according to a senior official. Trump said he was very optimistic about a deal with Iran, warning of lethal prosecution if shooting restarts.
Hezbollah's actions as 'irresponsible' and banned the group's military activities.
A ceasefire agreement was reached on 16 April after six weeks of fighting, recently extended by three weeks according to Trump. An elderly couple fled their village under bombing; their son Mohamed was killed in an Israeli airstrike on his car. Mohamed, 38, was a part-time electrician and father of three, shuttling between his family and parents.
His nephew, an ambulance driver, found his uncle's body with limbs severed and car charred. The family had previously lost a child in the 2024 war with Israel. Beirut is overcrowded with over 1 million displaced people from southern and eastern Lebanon and southern suburbs.
A tent encampment has appeared on Beirut waterfront; some displaced live in storefronts, mosques, cars, and tents. Displaced woman Noor Hussein expressed tension and feeling unwanted. UNHCR spokesperson Dalal Harb said the scale and intensity of displacement is unprecedented, and the 1 million figure is an undercount.
The government converted hundreds of schools into shelters and pitched tents under a sports stadium. Sara Roddis, from Coventry, has family in southern Lebanon and is devastated that the ceasefire didn't include Lebanon. Her family lost their home and shop in Tyre in 2024; 20 family members now share two rooms.
The conflict began with US and Israeli attacks on Iran early Saturday and has involved several Gulf and Middle Eastern countries. Israeli Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen.
Eyal Zamir stated that Israel is crushing the Iranian regime. Zamir said Hezbollah chose to join the battle on Iran's side and is paying the price, and Israel will seize every opportunity to strike Hezbollah and eliminate the threat. S.
service members have been killed in action and five others seriously wounded in operations against Iran. President Trump said there will likely be more American casualties before the operation ends. Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv as Iran fired back at Israel, and Israel launched a new wave of strikes in Tehran.
Khamenei's death was met with public mourning and quiet celebrations. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun decried attacks launched from Lebanese territory and Israeli counterstrikes. Israeli defence minister Israel Katz vowed Hezbollah would pay a heavy price and ordered the military to act forcefully, and said Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem is now a marked target for elimination.
Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned Hezbollah's actions as irresponsible and banned the group's military activities. Hezbollah's military wing announced it launched a barrage of rockets and a swarm of drones at a missile defence site south of Haifa. Israeli forces responded with air and naval strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs and southern Lebanon, targeting senior Hezbollah operatives, command centres, weapons stores, and infrastructure, the IDF said.
Hussein Meklad, head of Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters, was allegedly killed.