Israeli army detonates large bomb, burns homes in southern Lebanon

The Israeli army carried out a large‑scale explosion in the Sidon district of southern Lebanon, heard as a powerful blast in the city of Sidon and nearby villages. The strike destroyed and set fire to several houses in the town of Bent Jbeil and along the road to Ain Atha.

The operation was accompanied by a sweep with automatic weapons near a Lebanese army position in the town of Majdal Zoun. Lebanese officials say the attacks are part of a systematic policy to demolish villages along the front line. The violence follows months of escalated fighting that began in March 2026, which the Lebanese health ministry says has caused more than 4,300 deaths and over 12,200 injuries.

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun reiterated that the presence of the UN‑mediated temporary force (UNIFIL) remains the best option for the coming phase, while noting recent discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump on implementing the U.S.–brokered framework agreement signed in June 2026 aimed at ending the Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has also launched rockets and drones toward Israel since early March, prompting Israeli retaliatory airstrikes.