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Israeli forces have advanced across the Litani River in Lebanon for the first time since 2006.
Israeli forces have crossed the Litani river in southern Lebanon for the first time since 2006 and appear to be close to encircling Lebanon’s main city. Nabatieh.
Lebanese military officials on Saturday told Turkish news agency Anadolu that Israeli forces were involved to cross The Litani River, which Israel has declared as part of its unofficial territory.
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Israeli forces are now outside the city of Nabatieh, an economically important city in southern Lebanon and a cultural center in the region. If the Shia-majority city falls, it could be a major blow to Lebanon’s civil war, which began in October 2023 with a subsequent ceasefire.
Nabatieh is seen by many Lebanese as a symbol of resistance because of his history on Israel’s front lines.
Reports from the southern city of Tyre, Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto said Israel is expanding its air campaign in southern Lebanon and surrounding Nabatieh in preparation for an attack on the city.
“It looks like Israel is trying to make this happen around Nabatieh, bypassing the second and third line of defense of Hezbollah and isolating itself in the west of the Bekaa Valley from the south of the country,” Hitto said.
Israel has ordered the evacuation of at least 10 villages in southern Lebanon, as it escalates its offensive, even as it engages in peace talks with Lebanese authorities.
A spokesman for Israel’s Arab forces, Avichay Adraee, told residents of several Lebanese villages to evacuate immediately, warning that they would be killed if they stayed.
The order came just two days after the leaders from both countries met in Washington discuss it permanent cessation of hostilities. It began in early March when Iran-backed Hezbollah launched an attack on Israel following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Hitto said people fleeing their homes have few options, and more than 20 percent of the population – about 1.2 million people – have fled their homes because of the war.
“The choices are turning into people living with relatives if they have the opportunity, or living in makeshift camps in public shelters. I’ve seen a lot of families living in their cars for long periods of time,” Hitto said.
“Some of these families have been displaced since 2023,” Hitto added.
The latest order to move them is another attempt at a “cease fire” that has been in place since mid-April and has been repeatedly violated by Israel. It justifies its actions by saying that it is targeting Hezbollah as a way to arm the group.
On Friday, at least 14 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon.
Lebanese authorities are working to disarm Hezbollah, but the task has been extremely difficult.
Lebanese and Israeli officials are currently negotiating to end the conflict, marking the first time the two sides have spoken directly in decades.
The talks are being led by the United States, and a new round is expected in Washington next week.
The President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, held talks with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Saturday to discuss security and ongoing negotiations with Israel. According to the National News Agency, they agreed to continue efforts to end the war, which has created a humanitarian crisis.
Aoun also spoke on the phone with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and stressed the need for Israel to respect the existing ceasefire.
