Lead:
Ongoing Israeli military operations against towns in southern Lebanon escalated on Monday, with airstrikes reported across multiple villages and Israeli forces conducting heavy machine-gun sweeps through the Salouki and Hajir valleys. Against this backdrop, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun declared that negotiation remains his only viable option, while the United States signaled continued commitment to containing the conflict, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned of deteriorating humanitarian conditions on the ground.
Details:
Israeli airstrikes targeted the towns of Al-Marwaniyeh, Al-Numairiyeh, and Al-Sharqiyeh in south Lebanon, according to Al-Manar's field correspondent. Israeli forces also conducted sweep operations using heavy automatic weapons toward the Salouki and Hajir valleys, as reported by Shafaqna Lebanon and corroborated by multiple Lebanese outlets. An Israeli army officer killed in a strike on the Khardali road — identified as Captain Elie Khoury — was laid to rest in the village of Kfarja-Jezzine, underlining the mounting human cost of the conflict. Al-Diyar reported that Israeli strikes also caused damage to an archaeological site in Tyre, raising cultural heritage concerns.
Hezbollah announced a series of retaliatory operations on Monday, claiming drone and rocket attacks against Israeli military positions and convoys in south Lebanon, according to Al-Diyar. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, quoted by Al-Nahar and Al-Diyar, insisted that "our mission with Hezbollah is not yet over," rejecting what he described as Iranian attempts to impose an equation linking any Israeli targeting of Beirut's southern suburb to a broader Iranian response. Israeli army radio, cited by Al-Diyar, warned that strikes on the southern suburb would not be ruled out when opportunities to target leadership figures arise.
On the diplomatic front, President Aoun told CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour — in an interview aired from Baabda Palace — that he has "no option but to negotiate," while ruling out any meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu before the war concludes, as reported by Al-Diyar. U.S. Ambassador Michael Issa met separately with President Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri, and Prime Minister Salam, delivering what Al-Joumhouria described as an American commitment to preventing further expansion of the confrontation. The ambassador reportedly confirmed that Israel would withdraw from Lebanon and return territory and prisoners. Prime Minister Salam, meeting his cabinet on the regional situation, warned of new waves of displacement and declining absorption capacity, according to Al-Diyar. Al-Joumhouria reported that Salam also affirmed to the U.S. envoy that no party other than the Lebanese state may negotiate on Lebanon's behalf.
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