The Israeli Prime Minister has ordered a further escalation of attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon after both sides have exchanged nearly daily retaliatory strikes despite a ceasefire agreement.
On 25 May 2026, the Israeli military intensified attacks in southern Lebanon after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed he had issued the order, aiming to “crush” Hezbollah.
The latest wave of airstrikes occurred as the United States and Iran work to finalize a deal to end Middle East conflicts, which may include the front in Lebanon where Israel and Hezbollah have been at war since 2 March.
Although a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been in effect since 17 April, Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah continue almost daily exchanges of fire.
“I have ordered us to accelerate our operations even further,” Netanyahu said in a video statement posted on his Telegram channel. “It is true they attack us with drones, including fiber-optic cable drones, but we have teams developing countermeasures and we will resolve this... We will increase the intensity of attacks, the destructive power, and we will crush them completely.”
Following the announcement of the escalation, AFP reporters observed civilians fleeing from southern suburbs of Beirut, a key Hezbollah stronghold.
Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that the Israeli Air Force launched continuous attacks in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon on Monday evening, after sending drones and warplanes to bomb several towns and villages in southern Lebanon earlier that day, resulting in three deaths.
According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks since early March have caused over 3,100 deaths.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced on Monday that one Israeli soldier was killed the previous day in southern Lebanon, bringing the total Israeli military deaths in the conflict with Hezbollah to 23, along with one civilian contractor.
Source:cna