Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem has warned that Israel must withdraw from Lebanon without any conditions. Speaking in a live broadcast on Friday, he said Israel’s presence in Lebanon was not due to missile threats but to occupy and control the country. Qassem emphasized that Hezbollah’s restraint was a deliberate strategy of patience, describing endurance as the only path to victory.

He declared that Hezbollah would not disarm north of the Litani River and that any discussion on weapons would occur only after Israel’s complete and unconditional withdrawal. Qassem claimed Israel’s aggression aimed to eliminate Hezbollah but said the group had successfully resisted. He urged Lebanese authorities to unite against the enemy and reject external interference, particularly from the United States and Israel.

Qassem also commented on a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States, calling it a formal declaration of defeat for both the U.S. and Israel, asserting that Iran’s steadfastness led to the agreement.

An Israeli soldier was killed and another injured during a military operation in southern Lebanon, the Israeli army confirmed on Thursday. The deceased, identified as Master Sergeant (Reserve) Basil Sweid, served as a driver in the 75th Battalion of the 7th Armored Brigade. According to the army, Sweid died at the scene when his fuel truck overturned during the operation. The injured soldier was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The Times of Israel reported that Sweid’s family has been notified of his death. The incident adds to a series of recent casualties involving Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. Earlier, a Hezbollah attack in the same region on Saturday killed one Israeli soldier and injured thirteen others, while another attack on Friday left four Israeli soldiers dead.

The repeated incidents highlight ongoing tensions and military activity in southern Lebanon, where clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah have continued in recent days.

The United Nations reported that more than 11,000 residential buildings in southern Lebanon have been completely destroyed in recent clashes, leaving many families without homes to return to. UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York that an assessment found another 2,200 buildings partially damaged. He said the widespread destruction, ongoing uncertainty, and the presence of unexploded ordnance are major obstacles to safe and sustainable returns.

Despite the devastation, many people are returning to southern Lebanon. According to UN data, about 19,000 people left shelters in a single night to go back to their areas, reducing the number of displaced people in shelters to around 90,000. The UN added that restoring normal life in the affected areas remains a major challenge due to destroyed infrastructure, security risks, and the lack of essential services.

The report underscores the scale of humanitarian and reconstruction challenges facing southern Lebanon following the recent conflict.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has declared that no solution other than ending Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon will be accepted. He made the statement on the day new rounds of diplomatic talks between Lebanese and Israeli representatives began in Washington, D.C. Aoun’s remarks were shared through the Lebanese presidency’s official account on X, emphasizing that recent developments have proven diplomacy to be the right path for achieving national goals and reclaiming the country’s rights.

Aoun expressed hope that the ongoing negotiations would help secure Lebanon’s interests and ensure full sovereignty over every inch of its territory. He reaffirmed that Lebanon’s only path lies in national sovereignty and trust in the state to protect all citizens and guarantee freedom and dignity. Despite the diplomatic efforts, clashes between Israel and Hezbollah have not fully ceased, even after a new ceasefire agreement last Friday.

According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, Israeli attacks since March 2 have killed at least 4,192 people and injured 12,171, though no breakdown between civilians and fighters has been released.

Lebanese Civil Defense teams have recovered 13 bodies from the rubble in the Nabatieh and Marjayoun regions of southern Lebanon. According to a statement released on Monday, rescue teams are continuing operations in Nabatieh, Dibbine, and Blat to clear main and secondary roads. The effort aims to remove debris and restore normal traffic movement in the affected areas.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that since Israeli attacks began on March 2, at least 4,106 people have been killed and 12,153 injured across the country. Emergency assistance operations are still underway in the damaged regions as rescue teams continue their search and recovery efforts.

Authorities have not yet provided further details on the identities of the victims or the extent of structural damage in the affected zones.

At least six Israeli soldiers have been killed and more than twenty injured in attacks carried out by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon since Thursday, according to Israel’s Army Radio. Reports from Israel’s state broadcaster confirmed that one of the dead was a senior military officer. The incidents mark a sharp escalation in violence along the Lebanon-Israel border.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that since the current conflict began on March 2 this year, a total of 36 Israeli soldiers have been killed along the Lebanese border. Continued clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah have heightened tensions in the region, raising concerns about further instability.

The ongoing hostilities underscore the fragility of the border situation, with both sides engaged in repeated exchanges of fire that have intensified over recent days.

At least 29 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon on Saturday, just one day after a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah was announced. The attacks struck Nabatieh, Tyre, Sidon, and the Bekaa Valley, with Lebanon’s Civil Defense reporting 16 deaths in Nabatieh and the state news agency NNA describing the strike on Barish village as a ‘massacre.’ A Lebanese army officer was also killed in an airstrike on the Kafr Rumman–Nabatieh road.

The Lebanese army accused Israel of trying to obstruct any solution aimed at restoring stability in Lebanon. The Israeli military said the strikes were in response to overnight Hezbollah attacks on Israeli positions, while Hezbollah claimed it repelled Israeli infiltration attempts during the ceasefire. Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah said Israel’s occupation made any truce meaningless.

The violence unfolded amid U.S.–Iran efforts to implement a memorandum of understanding to ease hostilities. Israeli ministers criticized the deal, while U.S. President Donald Trump condemned Israel’s operation. Iran warned that peace in Lebanon depended on Israel’s compliance with international law and an end to occupation.

An Israeli soldier was killed and 13 others injured during an operation to seize a major underground Hezbollah base in Lebanon early Saturday, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. in the village of Kafr Tibnit, Nabatieh, when rockets and drones targeted Israeli positions. The deceased soldier, Nir Ben Ari, 21, was a member of the Maglan unit of the Commando Brigade. Two of the injured soldiers are reported to be in critical condition.

The IDF stated that the underground base beneath the al-Taher mountain range serves as the main center for Hezbollah’s Badr regional division, where heavy fighting continues both underground and above ground. A day earlier, four Israeli soldiers, including Lieutenant Colonel Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, were killed in a similar attempt to capture the same base.

Following the latest attack, Israel launched extensive airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon. Lebanese media and rescue workers reported at least 27 deaths and 26 injuries from the Israeli strikes. The IDF said it has paused attacks outside the declared “security zone” but will continue operations within it.

According to US intelligence reports cited by American officials, Israel may continue its military operations in Lebanon even after a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran. The reports indicate that although the agreement explicitly calls for a halt to hostilities in Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces domestic pressure to maintain operations against Hezbollah.

The New York Times reported that Israel views Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militia and political group, as a serious threat. US intelligence agencies believe that despite ongoing diplomatic discussions between Washington and Tehran, Israel might persist with its campaign in Lebanon.

Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, stated on Friday that his country has committed to an immediate ceasefire and suspended all offensive operations in Lebanon. However, he emphasized that Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon to safeguard national security. Intelligence assessments have expressed doubt about how long this suspension will last.

Israeli forces carried out air and drone strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, killing at least five people, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA). The attacks took place in the Nabatieh area just hours after a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group was supposed to take effect. Residential buildings and homes were reported destroyed in the overnight bombardment.

A U.S. official said Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to a ceasefire on Friday, with the truce scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. that day. Despite this agreement, Israeli aircraft continued operations into Saturday morning, raising concerns about the durability of the ceasefire and the potential for renewed escalation.

The report did not include any official responses from either side, leaving the future of the ceasefire uncertain as tensions remain high along the Israel-Lebanon border.

At least 22 people were killed and 12 others injured in Israeli attacks on Lebanon’s Nabatieh district on Saturday, according to the country’s Civil Defense Agency. The agency reported that strikes continued from early morning, with rescue teams retrieving bodies and transporting the injured to hospitals. Ongoing bombardments have made rescue operations difficult.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry stated that since Israeli attacks began on March 2, more than 3,980 people have been killed and over 12,001 injured nationwide. The latest assault came just one day after a ceasefire announcement between Israel and Hezbollah, raising fears of renewed regional tension.

The continued violence following the ceasefire declaration has heightened concerns about instability in southern Lebanon and the broader region.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem declared that Israel will soon be expelled from every inch of Lebanese territory. He made the statement on Friday during a Central Ashura Council event in Beirut. Qassem said that Israel’s ruling authorities had failed to shake Hezbollah’s determination and steadfastness, emphasizing that the group remains resilient despite all adversities and sanctions.

He added that Hezbollah does not fear death, describing it as an essential element of victory. Qassem stated that when attacked with weapons, Hezbollah responds in kind. He further asserted that every act rejecting occupation is a victory and reaffirmed Hezbollah’s commitment to liberating Lebanese land from Israeli control.

According to Qassem, all Israeli efforts to eliminate the resistance have failed, and he expressed confidence that the people of Lebanon will ultimately drive out the occupying forces from all parts of the country.

At least 47 people were killed and 97 others injured in a series of Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. The attacks took place from midnight until Friday afternoon, with the deadliest strike reported in the Harouf area, where nine people, including three women, were killed and 14 others wounded.

Additional casualties were reported in several other areas. Six people, including a woman and a child, were killed in Al-Duweire, seven in Habboush, and three, including a child, in Arab Salim. Three more deaths occurred near Baalbek in Tal Abyad. Other affected locations included Al-Sharkiyah, Kfarsir, Al-Qatrani, Nabatieh, Deir Al-Zahrani, Kfar Roummane, Kfar Jawz, Jebchit, Kakaiyat Al-Jisr, Adshit, Al-Raihan, Abba, Al-Abbasiya, and Ain Bourday.

The Health Ministry further reported that since Israeli attacks began on March 2, a total of 3,980 people have been killed and 12,001 injured across Lebanon.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has condemned recent Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley, describing them as a dangerous and deplorable escalation. According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, Aoun said the attacks are severely undermining ongoing peace efforts and ceasefire initiatives. He noted that the strikes have caused civilian casualties, including women and children, and have intensified destruction across affected areas.

Aoun emphasized that the escalation complicates the situation further, particularly following recent developments involving the United States and Iran. Despite the violence, he affirmed that Lebanon remains committed to pursuing peace and will continue working toward a comprehensive ceasefire. The president also stated that Lebanon’s negotiating team, set to participate in upcoming talks in Washington, has been instructed to strongly advocate for a full ceasefire.

The remarks highlight Lebanon’s concern that continued Israeli military actions could derail fragile diplomatic efforts aimed at stabilizing the region.

Hezbollah has announced that it has implemented a ceasefire agreed with Israel, according to two Hezbollah sources cited by Reuters. A senior U.S. official earlier told Reuters that both sides had reached an agreement for the ceasefire to take effect from 4 p.m. local time on Friday. The move marks a significant development following prolonged tension and conflict between the two sides.

Analysts believe the ceasefire could bring temporary relief to the Middle East after extended hostilities. However, uncertainty remains over how effectively the truce will hold in the coming days. The announcement has drawn close international attention, with diplomatic efforts reportedly intensifying to prevent renewed conflict in the region.

Observers note that the ceasefire’s durability will be critical in determining whether the current calm can evolve into a more lasting peace arrangement.