On September 3, 2026, Israel's military announced it had taken control of Ali Taher Hill in southern Lebanon, despite a ceasefire agreement reached in June. However, fighting continued on the hill, with daily shelling and airstrikes by Israeli forces against Hezbollah militants.
Over the next few days, Israel escalated its attacks, targeting several towns in southern Lebanon, including Nabatieh, where at least four people were killed and 20 others wounded on Sunday (September 6). The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that two women were among the dead, while six others were injured in an air strike on Arab Salim.
The Israeli military claimed it was responding to Hezbollah drone attacks within areas occupied by its troops. Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun condemned the strikes as a "dangerous escalation" and called for international help to stop the violence. The US, which had brokered the ceasefire agreement in June, has been accused of not doing enough to prevent the conflict.
On Monday (September 7), Israeli strikes on the town of Deir Zahrani killed at least 11 people, including two children and two medics. The Lebanese state news agency reported that residents were given an hour's warning before the attack began.
Israel said it blew up two kilometers of tunnels operated by the Lebanese group Hezbollah as part of an offensive that has expanded despite a months-old ceasefire.
