Israel orders evacuations, strikes nine villages
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- Israel ordered forced evacuations for nine villages in southern Lebanon, including Anqoun, which hosts at least 2,500 displaced residents, warning residents to leave before upcoming operations.
- Israel carried out airstrikes and drone attacks across southern Lebanon on Friday, hitting cars in the Nabatieh area and artillery pounding Kfar Tebnit, killing six people.
- Hezbollah rejected the US‑brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon, calling it surrender and refusing to stop firing unless Israel withdrew.
- Israeli forces seized the medieval Beaufort Castle earlier in the week and advanced toward the city of Nabatieh, prompting further evacuations.
- Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers entered the town of Dibbin on Friday after Israeli forces withdrew on Thursday, reopening roads and clearing rubble.
- Donald Trump is actively involved in the Lebanon‑Israel negotiations, expressing frustration with Netanyahu’s campaign and linking a Lebanon ceasefire to broader talks with Iran.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not seek cabinet approval for the US‑brokered ceasefire proposal unless Hezbollah agreed to its terms.
Why it matters: The evacuations and strikes intensify the humanitarian crisis for thousands of Lebanese civilians while undermining the fragile US‑brokered ceasefire, leaving Hezbollah and Israel locked in a stalemate and stalling diplomatic progress that also ties to US‑Iran negotiations and threatens to prolong displacement for the 2,500 people already sheltering in Anqoun.
