Israel raids in southern Lebanon kill five, Hezbollah retaliates

Israel continued its military campaign in southern Lebanon despite ongoing U.S.–Iran diplomatic talks. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz reaffirmed that the IDF will not withdraw from Lebanon, Syria or Gaza, and recent air strikes hit roughly 70 Hezbollah‑linked targets, including rocket launchers. The attacks killed five people, among them Al‑Rayhan mayor Ali Badie, and wounded several civilians and a regular Lebanese soldier.

Hezbollah said it shot down an Israeli soldier with a drone in Chamaa and launched its own drones at Israeli positions in Margaliot. The fighting also struck civilian areas; a Maronite priest near Sidon recounted a near‑miss that could have caused a massacre, and evacuations were ordered for villages in the Sidon district.