Lebanese military source: Israel bypassed the Litani and became on the borders of Nabatieh
A senior Lebanese military source said on Saturday that Israeli forces penetrated into villages north of the Litani River and reached the outskirts of the southern city of Nabatieh, in a development on the ground that is considered the most dangerous since the start of the ceasefire agreement.
The source, who preferred to remain anonymous, explained that "the occupation forces entered the eastern towns of Zuter and Shqif Arnon," stressing that the Israeli advance is taking place "in parallel with the continuous military escalation and the increase in the frequency of attacks on the southern villages."
The Lebanese army evacuated its positions in the areas entered by the Israeli forces "in order to preserve the safety of military personnel, in light of the imbalance of forces and the continuation of attacks on security centers and elements that caused casualties", he said.
He added that "any area to which the occupation army advances is immediately evacuated by the Lebanese Army," stressing that the priority of the military establishment is currently to maintain internal stability amid the escalating political debate over direct negotiations with Israel.
The source stressed that the Israeli escalation "preceded the Lebanese-Israeli military meeting in Washington and has been going on for days," considering that what is happening constitutes a violation of the truce that has been extended since May 15 for 45 days.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that the army had "crossed the Litani River" and advanced to "positions of control", in remarks that reaffirmed the incursion north of the river.
5 killed, 13 wounded in Israeli raids on southern Lebanon
Coinciding with the advance on the ground, 5 people were killed and 13 others were wounded on Saturday, in a series of Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling that targeted large areas in Nabatieh, Tyre, Bint Jbeil, and Marjayoun during the fourth day of Eid al-Adha.
The National News Agency reported that Israeli planes targeted a building in the northern tower, killing two people. A man and his son were also killed in a raid on a house in the town of Ansar, while 7 family members were wounded.
Nabatieh witnessed a series of drone strikes targeting vehicles and public roads, including the road leading to Nabih Berri Governmental Hospital, in addition to raids on Zabdeen, Abba and Haruf.
In the Bint Jbeil district, Israeli warplanes carried out raids on Kafr Dounin, Farun, Ghandouriya, Jumaimah, and Khirbet Salm, while other strikes targeted the towns of Haris, Yater, Al-Rayhan, Sajd, Al-Qatrani, and Dbein." Hezbollah bombards northern Israel with 5 rockets, and the alarms sound 20 times
Hezbollah bombs Safed in the Palestinian Galilee
On Saturday, May 30, Hezbollah expanded the scope of its attacks towards northern Israel, firing 5 rockets towards the city of Safed, the capital of the Upper Galilee, for the first time in more than a month and a half, while sirens in the area have sounded 20 times since this morning.
Israel's private Channel 12 said: "Five rockets were fired towards Safed in the Upper Galilee, one of which was intercepted, and the rest landed in open areas," according to its claim.
The channel claimed that there were no casualties as a result of the rocket falls, amid a major blackout imposed by Israel on its losses, for its part, the Israeli Army Radio said that the sirens sounded in Safed for the first time in more than a month and a half, following a rocket barrage by Hezbollah.
Shortly before that, the IDF said in a statement: "In light of the expansion of our forces operations in southern Lebanon, and in accordance with the assessment of the situation, the IDF is preparing for the possibility of firing from Lebanese territory with a focus on the northern region."
"At this stage, we must be vigilant, act responsibly, and abide by the instructions of the Home Front leadership," he added.
Washington Negotiations: Israel Refuses to Withdraw Its Forces
Israeli sources revealed that Tel Aviv, during the negotiations that took place yesterday with American mediation, rejected a request from Beirut to withdraw the occupation army from southern Lebanon.
The Israel Broadcasting Corporation quoted unnamed Israeli officials as saying that Beirut "demanded during talks held between military representatives from both sides under the auspices of the United States for Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon, but Israel informed the mediators that it would not withdraw as long as a threat remained in the area."
The Commission added that the talks dealt with the possibility of reaching a broader ceasefire agreement that includes addressing the file of Hezbollah's weapons, while Lebanese reports indicated that the Israeli and Lebanese military delegations do not have direct contacts, and that all messages pass through the American mediator.
According to the same reports, Beirut demanded clarification on terms Israel uses to justify its military operations, such as "tangible danger" and "threat response."
The reports added that Israel is demanding the establishment of a direct communication mechanism between the two armies and cooperation in the file of disarming Hezbollah, while the Lebanese side rejects any direct coordination, stressing that the priority is to stop Israeli attacks and adhere to American mediation.
During the talks, Israeli representatives focused on the file of Hezbollah drones and military installations north of the Litani River, and provided maps of sites they said belonged to the party, calling on the Lebanese army to take action to dismantle them and confiscate their weapons.