Israeli troops move deeper into Southern Lebanon as airstrikes against Hezbollah continue

Israeli troops move deeper into Southern Lebanon as airstrikes against Hezbollah continue
Smoke rises after Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, during Hezbollah-Israel clashes amid U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. Baabda, Lebanon, March 4, 2026
Reuters

Israeli troops have moved further into southern Lebanon, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Tuesday, as the country continued strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

The Israeli military said it had pushed deeper into southern Lebanon beyond the five posts it already holds in the area. Israel says the deployment is intended to create an additional layer of security for residents in northern Israel living close to the Lebanese border.

Meanwhile, several people were killed in Israeli strikes on a residential building in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s state news agency. 

The IDF said it killed a Hezbollah intelligence chief on Monday in airstrikes targeting Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s health ministry reported that 31 people were killed and 149 injured in the attacks.

Israel’s increased military activity in Lebanon comes as fighting continues across the wider Middle East. Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said it intercepted and destroyed a drone in the country’s Eastern Province on Wednesday.

Iranian drones also struck the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh earlier this week, causing damage to the diplomatic compound, according to officials. 

Separately, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had targeted a U.S. air base in Bahrain with drones and missiles, though the extent of the damage could not be independently verified.

The U.S. Department of State has asked non-essential government personnel and their families to leave 40 countries in the Middle East - including Iraq, Jordan and Bahrain - as the conflict escalates. 

Tags