Israeli ground troops pushed beyond Lebanon’s self-declared security zone Tuesday, a significantescalation that threatens to shatter the fragile April ceasefire and marks the deepest Israeliadvance into Lebanese territory since hostilities resumed in March.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed its forces were operating north of the Yellow Line, therough six-mile boundary inside Lebanon that Israel unilaterally declared following the ceasefire agreement mediated by the United States on April 17. An Israeli military official described the expansion as necessary to address what the IDF called persistent threats from Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s health ministry said 31 people were killed and 40 wounded in Israeli air strikes across southern Lebanon on Tuesday alone — one of the deadliest single days since the ceasefire took effect. Among the dead were at least four children and three women. The ministry described the attacks as “a series of massacres” and said a public hospital near Nabatieh sustained significant damage.
Hezbollah confirmed its fighters confronted Israeli troops attempting to advance into Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, a town overlooking Nabatieh, and said it had deployed guided missiles and drone swarms against Israeli positions. The Israeli military issued evacuation orders for at least 50 towns and villages in southern and eastern Lebanon, including Nabatieh itself.
The escalation comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had authorized more intense strikes against Iranian-backed Hezbollah. Lebanon’s President Aoun declared Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory non-negotiable. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for diplomacy, though markets showed mounting anxiety over what analysts described as the practical collapse of the April 17 agreement.
Hezbollah has cited the IDF’s growing presence north of the Yellow Line as a violation of the ceasefire’s core terms, which required both sides to pull forces behind the line. The group says it remains committed to the agreement — a claim backed by monitors who note Hezbollah has largely held fire since March, while Israeli violations have been continuous and escalating.
