Middle East Crisis Live: Hezbollah Reports Clashes With IDF North of Israeli-Held Buffer Zone; US-Israel War on Iran
Hezbollah said its fighters clashed with Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon’s Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, a town just north of the Litani River, as Israel deepened its ground and air operations in the country. The group said its fighters engaged Israeli forces at close range, describing the fighting as taking place beyond the boundary of Israel’s self-declared security zone. The reported clash came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to expand operations in Lebanon with large forces on the ground and to seize new areas north of the Israeli-held buffer zone.
The escalation followed one of the deadliest Israeli bombardments in southern Lebanon since a ceasefire took effect in April. Lebanese health officials said Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday killed at least 31 people and wounded 40, with the town of Burj al-Shamali near Tyre among the hardest hit. Rescue teams continued searching through rubble as images showed destroyed homes, smoke rising over damaged neighborhoods, and civilians moving through debris after strikes. Lebanon’s state news agency and health ministry said children and women were among the dead.
The Israeli military said it struck more than 150 targets in southern Lebanon over the past day, saying they were linked to Hezbollah positions in places including Bint Jbeil, Maroun al-Ras and the Bekaa Valley. Netanyahu said Israeli forces were “operating with large forces in the field and capturing and controlling areas,” adding that Israel was reinforcing a security strip meant to protect northern communities. Hezbollah said it responded with explosive drones, rockets and artillery against advancing Israeli troops and tanks near Zawtar al-Sharqiya.
The violence also comes amid wider regional tensions. In Gaza, Israel said it killed Mohammed Odeh, the head of Hamas’s armed wing, in an airstrike in Gaza City. If confirmed, his death would come only days after Israel killed his predecessor. Israel said Odeh was one of the organizers of the October 7 attacks and vowed to continue targeting Hamas leaders.
Elsewhere, Iran and the United States remained locked in high-stakes talks over the Strait of Hormuz, with an Iranian official saying no agreement had been reached on passage through the waterway and that “until we agree on all the issues, we consider that we have agreed on nothing.” South Korea said its investigation into an attack on a cargo ship in the strait found evidence suggesting the strike likely involved an Iranian missile, though it stopped short of assigning final responsibility. Iranian officials said their forces were prepared for any attack while continuing indirect negotiations.
The Middle East fighting has deepened humanitarian concern, with the UN World Food Programme warning that conflict and price shocks are pushing record numbers toward hunger. Across Lebanon, meanwhile, Eid al-Adha passed under the shadow of war, displacement and destruction, with officials urging hope despite the continuing crisis.
