Israel’s military announced it killed hundreds of Hezbollah fighters and destroyed nearly 300 infrastructure targets in the 24 hours before a ceasefire with Lebanon took effect, marking one of the deadliest single-day operations since the conflict escalated in February.
The Israel Defense Forces said the strikes targeted launchers, command centers, and weapons storage across southern Lebanon, including the killing of Ali Reza Abbas, commander of Hezbollah’s unit in Bint Jbeil, who had been involved in planning attacks on Israeli forces. Abbas is the fourth commander from that town killed by Israeli forces since late February, when Operation Roaring Lion began.
Among the casualties were over 20 fighters killed in a separate strike in the town of Dibbin, where Israeli troops and air support struck more than 70 targets. Since the operation began, Israeli military officials say more than 1,800 Hezbollah fighters have been killed in Lebanon.
Just hours before the ceasefire talks resumed at the White House, Israeli forces arrested a member of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in southern Lebanon, suspected of planning imminent attacks on Israeli positions. The suspect surrendered and was transferred to Unit 504 for interrogation.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his stance that the United States would not use nuclear weapons in any conflict with Iran, calling the idea unnecessary and inappropriate given what he described as the U.S. Military’s conventional superiority. He said Iran’s navy, air force, and air defenses had been destroyed, though he acknowledged Tehran might have replenished some weapons during a two-week pause in hostilities.
For more on this story, see Canada Condemns Israel’s ‘Illegal Invasion’ of Lebanon as Fears of Annexation Grow.
Trump said the U.S. Could neutralize any such replenishment within a day if needed, but emphasized his preference for a lasting diplomatic agreement over a quick deal. He rejected suggestions that the conflict was exceeding the initial four-to-six week timeline he had outlined, stating that military objectives were met early and the current phase was focused on negotiations.
The Lebanese prime minister has accused Israel of war crimes in its operations, a claim echoed in broader international criticism of the scale of destruction in southern Lebanon. Israeli officials maintain their actions are targeted at terrorist infrastructure and comply with international law.
Despite the ceasefire talks, Israeli forces continued operations against Hezbollah positions, including intercepting rockets launched toward northern Israel and striking suspected launch sites in response. The pattern of intermittent fighting alongside diplomatic engagement has defined the conflict’s trajectory over the past two months.
This follows our earlier report, Israeli forces kill Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil as Iran-US talks stall.
Why did Israel launch such intense strikes just before the ceasefire?
Israeli officials said the operations were intended to degrade Hezbollah’s capacity to launch attacks and prevent the group from regrouping during the pause in fighting, targeting weapons and command structures they said were being used for imminent threats.
What is the status of the U.S. Position on nuclear weapons in Iran?
President Trump has ruled out the use of nuclear weapons against Iran, stating that conventional military capabilities are sufficient and that such weapons should never be used by any country.
How many Hezbollah fighters have been killed since the operation began?
According to Israeli military figures cited in the reports, more than 1,800 Hezbollah fighters have been killed in Lebanon since the start of Operation Roaring Lion in late February.
