Israeli violence surges across Nabatieh after Ali Taher control claims
As Tel Aviv vows to destroy Hezbollah tunnels at the site, it is sending mixed signals about its intention to withdraw from the “buffer zone.”
by L'Orient Today staff · L'Orient TodayBEIRUT — Israeli escalation in south Lebanon continued unabated on Sunday, particularly in the Nabatieh district. Throughout the day on Sunday, the Israeli army carried out a wave of strikes across the Nabatieh region, killing at least seven people and completely destroying a hospital for the first time since 2023. The second consecutive day of violence prompted a chorus of condemnations from Lebanese officials.
The attacks came after Tel Aviv once again accused Hezbollah of attempting a “drone attack” against its forces in the occupied area of south Lebanon. They also followed the escalation that began after Israel claimed to have seized the strategic Ali Taher hill, considered a key position for access to the Nabatieh region.
On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that “the capture of Ali Taher hill marks the completion of the lockdown of the security zone in southern Lebanon.” “We advanced toward Ali Taher following intelligence indicating the presence of Hezbollah command-and-control tunnels,” arguing that “Ali Taher is the last bastion defending the Nabatieh region, which is of critical importance to Hezbollah,” he added.
That evening, a series of massive explosions in the area suggested that the Israelis had begun destroying Hezbollah’s tunnels at the site. However, according to public broadcaster Kan 11, the Israeli army is expected to begin the operation in a few days, pending instructions from the political leadership.
At the same time, Israeli army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir launched a surprise exercise designed to test the military high command’s ability to operate in the event of a “sudden, multi-front scenario.” According to the Israeli army, the exercise aims to “assess the level of alert and preparedness” at headquarters, the availability of forces on standby and “the ability to respond to a sudden, complex, large-scale, multi-front event,” in order to better prepare the army as the Jewish holiday period approaches.
Against this backdrop, an Israeli security source cited by Maariv said that the capture of Ali Taher “opens the road to Beirut” for the Israeli army. The previous day, however, Kan 11 reported that the Israeli army was preparing to reduce its troop presence in south Lebanon and shrink the area of its occupied “buffer zone,” redeploying to a strip between 3 and 4 kilometers deep.
Israel destroys a heritage building and a hospital
The day’s escalation began after the Israeli army said it had foiled a “Hezbollah drone attack.” It immediately ordered the evacuation of a building in Arab Salim, the first such warning since June. But according to our correspondent's information, Israel struck far more buildings than the ones that were identified in their evacuation orders.
Starting at 5 a.m., an airstrike targeted and destroyed a three-story building in the industrial zone of Kfar Roummane, as well as a heritage building in the al-Rahbat neighborhood of Nabatieh, reducing it to rubble. Successive strikes also hit Nabatieh Fawqa, killing two people, several neighborhoods of Nabatieh, causing damage to a building belonging to the Finance Ministry, and Dabsheh hill.
A hospital completely destroyed
One of the strikes on Nabatieh Fawqa completely destroyed the Ghandour Hospital, which had been closed and had not admitted patients for several years. Rescue teams from the al-Rissala Scouts recovered a victim from the rubble late in the afternoon, identified by sources cited by our correspondent as a Hezbollah member.
Earlier in the afternoon, the Israeli army said the strike had targeted a “Hezbollah command center that had been established in a building that had previously served as a hospital.” “The strikes were carried out in response to attempted attacks the previous day in the Ali Taher ridge area, and with the aim of eliminating threats from Hezbollah," it added.
It is the first time since the start of the war in 2023 that a hospital has been completely destroyed in an airstrike. Contacted by our correspondent, Dr. Amina Farhat, the hospital owner’s wife, confirmed the facility had been “completely destroyed.” The four-story hospital had been out of service since the financial crisis began in 2019.
Although no one was inside the building at the time of the strike, the hospital remained fully equipped, with operating rooms, medical imaging equipment and laboratories, according to Dr. Farhat. “The losses are estimated at several million dollars,” she said.
Two women killed in Arab Salim
In Arab Salim, 30 minutes after an evacuation order was issued at dawn — the first such order since June — a three-story villa, separate from the building targeted by the evacuation warning, was bombed. Two women, identified as Israa Bahja and Bassima Haidar Hassan, were killed and five others wounded.
Two further strikes followed: one hit and completely destroyed the building that had been threatened, while the other struck a separate building. In the afternoon, a drone strike on vehicles in Nabatieh Tahta killed three people, according to our correspondent.
Relentless strikes on Mansouri
Throughout Sunday, the occupation forces also continued to target Mansouri, in the Sour district, carrying out around 15 demolitions in the village. Witnesses cited by our correspondent said they had seen trucks transporting what appeared to be explosives into the village.
Elsewhere, around noon, Israeli army vehicles were spotted near the strategic Wadi Hujeir valley, which links the Nabatieh, Bint Jbeil and Marjayoun regions.
During the night, Israeli attacks also continued in several areas of the South. Airstrikes hit Mansouri (Sour), Wadi Slouqi and Talloussa (Marjayoun). Demolition operations took place in Rshaf and Kounin (Bint Jbeil), Deir Siryane (Marjayoun) and Mansouri, which had already suffered around 15 demolitions the previous day. Artillery fire hit several areas, including the outskirts of Beit Lif and Braasheet (Bint Jbeil).
According to the Health Ministry’s emergency operations center, the total death toll since the resumption of the war on March 2 has now reached 4,362, eight more than over the past two days.
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