Strikes and Shelling Continue in South Lebanon as UNIFIL Prepares to Exit

What happened

Naharnet Lebanon reports that Israeli strikes and shelling targeted several locations in south Lebanon overnight into Thursday, including Houla, Markaba, Wadi Slouqi, Qabrikha, al-Mansouri, Majdalzoun, Ali al-Taher, and Touline. Concurrently, detonations were conducted by troops in Zawtar al-Sahrqiyeh, Majdalzoun, al-Mansouri, and al-Khiam, indicating ongoing military operations in the border region.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), currently composed of about 7,500 personnel from nearly 50 countries and present since 1978, has begun handing over positions to the Lebanese Army, including one near al-Khardali. UNIFIL’s mission is set to end this year, with a French-Italian initiative proposing a replacement force alongside Lebanon’s national army.

A framework agreement reached in June between Israel and Lebanon calls for Hezbollah’s disarmament, a phased Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon, and the deployment of Lebanese army forces into the area. However, Naharnet highlights that Hezbollah has not publicly committed to these disarmament steps. As stated in the report, Hezbollah's failure to withdraw from positions or transfer control to the Lebanese government has been identified as a continuing obstacle.

Known from the source

• Israeli strikes and shelling targeted multiple towns in south Lebanon overnight into Thursday, reported by Naharnet.
• Troops conducted detonations in several south Lebanon locations including Zawtar al-Sahrqiyeh and al-Khiam.
• UNIFIL handed over at least one position near al-Khardali to the Lebanese Army.
• UNIFIL’s mission in south Lebanon is ending this year; it currently comprises around 7,500 personnel.
• A French-Italian initiative proposes setting up a new force alongside the Lebanese army to replace UNIFIL.

What remains unclear

Despite a relative lull in direct fighting, Israel is maintaining intermittent strikes and major demolition operations within a roughly 10-kilometer-deep strip inside Lebanon’s southern border. The situation remains tense, with military and political dynamics tightly linked to the implementation of the June framework, which aims to reshape security control in the region but faces resistance and unresolved challenges.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verify casualty figures and extent of damage from recent strikes and shelling as Naharnet does not provide them. Confirm details and scale of demolition operations and troop detonations reported. Check official Lebanese Army, Hezbollah, Israeli, and UNIFIL statements for corroboration and context around troop movements and handovers.

Evidence note

This story contains report-led claims. The article keeps those claims attributed and treats them as unconfirmed/hearsay unless independently corroborated.

Original source: Naharnet Lebanon. Open the source.