Israeli incursion into Nabatieh and fierce battles in southern Lebanon threaten the survival of the ceasefire
The Israeli occupation army has begun carrying out ground incursions on the outskirts of the city of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, using advanced types of military robots intended to monitor explosive devices and detect armed cells, according to the Hebrew website "Walla".
On Sunday morning, the southern square witnessed a violent exchange of shelling and military operations, as Hezbollah announced the implementation of a series of missile and artillery attacks targeting gatherings of the occupation forces.
In its official statements, the party explained that its fighters targeted with artillery shells a gathering of occupation vehicles and soldiers on the southeastern outskirts of the town of Yahmar al-Shuqaif, and also bombed a command headquarters in the town of Naqoura with an "Ababil" type puff march, in addition to targeting another gathering in the town of Hadatha with two booby-trapped drones.
On the other hand, Israeli fighter jets and drones launched a series of raids on the towns of Derkifa, the outskirts of Jabaa, Sarifa, Al-Duwayr, Zafta, Al-Shihabiya and Abba, in conjunction with artillery shelling focused on Al-Mansouri, Nabatieh Al-Fuqa, Kafr Rumman and Beirut, which resulted in two deaths and 22 wounded in a raid that targeted the town of Saksskiyah, in addition to the death of three people from one family in the town of Joya, and the serious injury of a young man following the explosion of a mine in the town of Al-Aboudiya.
Occupation losses rise
In this context, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, quoting the army spokesman, admitted that four soldiers of the reserve forces were wounded to varying degrees as a result of the explosion of a booby-trapped drone launched from Lebanon and targeted their position in the border area.
The Israeli army also confirmed the detection of another aerial target that fell near its forces stationed in the south without causing any additional casualties, pointing out that sirens were activated in the Upper Galilee and several rockets were intercepted, according to the Hebrew Channel 14.
The Hebrew media acknowledged that an officer from the elite unit "Igoz" and a soldier from the "Givati" brigade were killed during the fierce battles, raising the total death toll of the Israeli army on the Lebanese front to 32 officers and soldiers since March 2, including 16 who were killed following the announcement of the latest security arrangements.
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz confirmed the continuation of strong ground and air military operations inside Lebanese territory, acknowledging in his statements that "the price paid by the army is heavy and painful."
This official recognition reflects the great state of attrition on the ground that Israeli forces are facing in the border villages and towns, in light of Hezbollah's adherence to the option of direct military confrontation and its refusal to withdraw or withdraw unless a comprehensive Israeli withdrawal from all the occupied Lebanese territories is completed, which imposes an increasing political and military cost on the Tel Aviv government.
The Negotiation Complex: Pakistani Efforts and Lebanese Rejection of the "Hybrid" Proposal
Politically, these developments on the ground have been paralleled by intensive diplomatic efforts led by Pakistan to mediate and advance the stalled negotiations between Iran and the United States on regional issues, including the Lebanese file.
During his visit to the capital Tehran, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi carried an urgent message from Pakistani Army Commander Asim Munir addressed to Iran's Supreme Leader Mujtaba Khamenei, at a time when Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun left for Pakistan.
This movement came after the failure of Washington's proposal for a conditional truce, which stipulated a ceasefire by Hezbollah and the evacuation of its elements north of the Litani River in exchange for the deployment of the Lebanese army, which the party completely rejected.
In a related context, General Joseph Aoun stressed in an interview with CNN the absolute rejection of any Iranian interference, considering that Tehran is using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in its negotiations with Washington.
In addition, political sources revealed to the Lebanese newspaper "Al-Akhbar" that the speaker of the House of Representatives, Nabih Berri, is conducting complex side negotiations with the United States, describing the latest US proposal as a "hybrid and booby-trapped agreement."
Berri explained that the text could have been dealt with positively if it had stipulated an unconditional ceasefire on land, sea and air without destroying infrastructure, instead of imposing impossible conditions that impose a complete unilateral ceasefire and the evacuation of resistance elements.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that no final agreement has been reached due to Hezbollah's opposition, noting that there is pressure from ministers in his cabinet to expand military operations, but he prefers to give a chance to the path supported by US President Donald Trump.
Inauguration of Al-Qulayat Airport to Break the Air Blockade
In another context, Lebanon officially launched the rehabilitation and development of President René Mouawad's airport in the Al-Qulaiyat area in the northern province of Akkar, to be the second international civil airport to come into light after many decades of neglect and political obstruction.
The first experimental civilian aircraft landed on the tarmac carrying caretaker Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasmani, announcing the start of the immediate implementation plan.
In his speech, Salam stressed that this project represents a fundamental step in the balanced development and social justice of Akkar, which has suffered from marginalization, stressing that this step carries sovereign and strategic dimensions that are very important to establish Lebanon's right to sovereignty and the security of its airspace, especially in light of the continuous Israeli threats to the Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut.
The airport was established in the 1930s by the French army as a military airstrip, before the Lebanese army turned it into an air base in 1966 and was subjected to devastating Israeli bombardment during the 2006 war.
The vital air facility covers an area of 5.5 million square meters and is just 7 kilometers from the Syrian border.
The activation of the project came after the Ministry of Works awarded the contract to the Lebanese company "Sky Lounge" with a four-year contract that guarantees the state 8% of profits with a minimum of $200,000 per year, and the rehabilitation works that last three months aim to establish a temporary terminal for passengers to enter the airport into actual operation and international commercial destinations towards Istanbul, Mersin and Dubai in November 2026, with an initial capacity of 114,000 passengers annually to reach 600,000 by the fourth year, with the opening of communication channels with companies Low-cost flights such as Ryanair and Pegasus.
Information Minister Paul Morcos described the project as an urgent national need and complementary to the Lebanese economy and its logistical facilities, as it is located near the port of Tripoli, in order to ensure the continuity and freedom of Lebanon's sovereign air transport and not to depend on a single facility threatened by war.