Israeli attacks on Lebanon have expanded beyond airstrikes, artillery fire and demolitions to include the use of incendiary materials, as fires sweep through vast stretches of forests and highlands after projectiles and flammable substances were dropped by Israeli drones. The escalation coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement that Israel was “in the midst of a highly important operation in Lebanon.” Addressing a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu described intensive military operations in recent days targeting what he called “terrorists,” including fighters in the Ali al-Taher Heights. He declined to disclose further details about the nature of the operations. “We are in the midst of a very important operation. We are working prudently and wisely with both determination and wisdom ... and eliminating threats.” Widespread Fires and Shelling Large parts of South Lebanon and the Western Bekaa have faced an escalation ranging from artillery shelling and airstrikes to demolitions and ground operations. Fires have also engulfed forested and mountainous areas, adding environmental and woodland damage to the destruction of facilities and infrastructure. Civil Defense teams are working to contain and extinguish the blazes, but rugged terrain, the scale of the fires and difficulty reaching several zones have hampered their efforts and fueled fears that the flames could spread further. MP Qabalan Qabalan of the Development and Liberation bloc called on the army, security forces, Civil Defense and other relevant agencies to intervene urgently. He urged full coordination and the deployment of all available resources, particularly aerial firefighting capabilities, warning that the fires threaten the region’s forests and environment. Shelling and Demolitions Continue The Israeli military carried out a major demolition in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah on Sunday morning, while artillery fired five shells near the Litani River in the Khardali area. Israeli vehicles advanced from Haddatha toward the outskirts of Haris amid machine-gun fire, while intermittent artillery shelling struck the area between Mayfadoun and Zawtar al-Sharqiyah. Earlier, an Israeli airstrike targeted the Mansouri bridge over the Qasimiyeh-Ras al-Ain irrigation canal. Since midnight Saturday, concentrated artillery fire has also targeted the Ali al-Taher Heights on the outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, along with the outskirts of Zawtar and Mayfadoun and the Dawhat Kfar Remman area. Meanwhile, the Lebanese Army continued clearing remnants of Israeli explosives. Specialized units dismantled unexploded missiles and aerial bombs in several towns in the Marjayoun and Nabatieh districts and transferred them to safe locations. The army urged residents in areas hit by Israeli attacks to exercise extreme caution and report any suspicious objects to the nearest military post. Hezbollah Criticizes Negotiations As the fighting intensifies, Hezbollah has continued to criticize Lebanese-Israeli negotiations. Hezbollah MP Hussein Hajj Hassan argued that the direct talks, which his group had opposed from the outset, have yet to produce tangible results and have instead coincided with continued Israeli attacks and escalation. He maintained that Israeli and US political and electoral interests were shaping the negotiations in Israel’s favor at Lebanon’s expense, warning that pursuing talks without reassessing their effectiveness could lead Lebanon to make concessions under US and Israeli pressure.
