Lebanon

Bint Jbeil ablaze as close-range battles turn city into open military test ground

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Israeli military vehicles and tanks are stationed in southern Lebanon, as seen from a vantage point in northern Israel on March 14, 2026. [Tsafrir Abayov – Anadolu Agency]

The southern Lebanese city of Bint Jbeil is witnessing a sharp military escalation, with what have been described as “fierce” clashes between Hezbollah fighters and the Israeli army, in one of the most intense rounds of fighting since the current escalation began.

According to field reports and corroborating accounts, the fighting is taking place inside residential neighbourhoods and on the outskirts of the city. Military and media sources say the clashes involve direct engagements at close range, as Israeli forces attempt to advance into positions inside the city, facing resistance and repeated ambushes.

Hebrew-language media outlets described the situation as “street-by-street battles”, noting that Israeli soldiers encountered unexpected resistance. Hezbollah fighters were reported to be emerging “from all directions” to launch surprise attacks on advancing forces, highlighting the complex and close-quarters nature of the fighting.

READ: Hezbollah bloc chief rejects Lebanon direct talks with Israel

Alongside the ground clashes, Bint Jbeil and its surroundings have been subjected to heavy air cover involving warplanes and drones, as well as intense artillery shelling. This has effectively turned the city into an open battlefield, where air strikes overlap with ground engagements.

Reports also indicate that Israeli forces have carried out demolition and explosive operations inside parts of the city in an effort to secure their advance, as the heavy fighting continues.

Hezbollah, for its part, announced a series of large-scale operations targeting Israeli troop gatherings and military vehicles in and around Bint Jbeil. The group said it carried out successive rocket barrages and artillery strikes throughout the day and night, claiming direct hits on advancing forces.

The group also said it targeted a military bulldozer of the D9 type using a suicide drone, in addition to drone attacks on Israeli military positions in southern Lebanon and along the front line.

READ: Israel launches operation to demolish homes in frontline villages in Lebanon: Report

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
Continue ReadingBint Jbeil ablaze as close-range battles turn city into open military test ground

Israel launches operation to demolish homes in frontline villages in Lebanon: Report

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Smoke rises from targeted areas in the town of Shebaa in Lebanon’s Nabatieh province following an airstrike, on April 14, 2026. [Ramiz Dallah – Anadolu Agency]

Israel has begun a military operation to demolish dozens of homes in frontline villages in southern Lebanon, as Tel Aviv continues to expand its ongoing assault in the Arab country, Israeli media reported on Wednesday.

The operation, code-named “Silver Plow,” aims to “clear” the first line of villages near the border, in a tactic applied during Israel’s two-year offensive in the Gaza Strip, Channel 12 said.

According to the broadcaster, the Israeli army has identified more than 20 villages in southern Lebanon for home demolitions and is reinforcing the operation with heavy engineering equipment.

The channel said the military does not intend to allow Lebanese residents to return to the area “until security is restored” for residents of northern Israel.

Early Wednesday, the Israeli army renewed its warning for residents south of the Zahrani River in southern Lebanon to evacuate their areas and head north ahead of attacks in the area.

Israel has kille d at least 2,124 people and injured nearly 7,000 in a deadly offensive across Lebanon since March 2 following a cross-border attack by Hezbollah, despite a 2024 ceasefire agreement.

Israel occupies areas in southern Lebanon, some for decades and others since the previous conflict between October 2023 and November the following year.

READ: Humanitarian access to southern Lebanon severely restricted, markets have collapsed: UN official

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says "Wish someone would lock him up".
Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says “Wish someone would lock him up”.
Continue ReadingIsrael launches operation to demolish homes in frontline villages in Lebanon: Report

Cracks in Europe’s support for colonial violence and genocide

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Special police units on the roof to remove the demonstrators from Peacefully Against Genocide staging a protest at the Berlin premises of Rheinmetall, a major German defense and automotive technology company specializing in military vehicles, weapons systems, and ammunition on March 25, 2026. [İlkin Eskipehlivan – Anadolu Agency]

Spain was recently targeted by Israel’s antisemitism narrative after an effigy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was blown up in El Burgo, during the Burning of Judas festival. “The appalling antisemitic hatred on display here is a direct result of the @sanchezcastejon government’s systematic incitement,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry stated on X, while noting that the Spanish ambassador to Israel was summoned for a reprimand.

However, the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s statement illustrates that the problem is not the burning of Netanyahu’s effigy, but rather the Spanish government’s current stance against Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its wars in Lebanon and Iran.

After decades of European blind adherence to Israel’s ethnic cleansing and colonial expansion, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has illustrated that stepping away from diplomatic normalisation of colonialism and genocide is possible. At least temporarily, Israel’s European safety net has been fractured.

The seven metre effigy of Netanyahu was filled with 14 kilogrammes of gunpowder. Burning it represented opposition to war and genocide, El Burgo’s Mayor Maria Dolores Narvaez stated.

READ: Varying degrees of silence over colonialism and annexation

There is nothing antisemitic about opposition to war and genocide. The truth is that Israel exploits the Holocaust narrative to justify Zionist colonial expansion and genocide, but it can no longer do so completely unchallenged. Netanyahu represents genocide and is wanted by the International Criminal Court. That is not an antisemitic narrative; it is based on facts.

Politically, Spain’s stance is also impacting the prior cohesion over Israel’s colonial violence and genocide, to the point that Netanyahu barred the country from participating in the Civil Military Coordination Centre in Kiryat Gat that oversees the ceasefire. Spain, according to Netanyahu, has defamed Israel and the IDF. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described Spain as having an “obsessive anti-Israel bias under Sanchez’s leadership”.

An anti-Israel stance, however, is not an obsession. It is a reality that opposes colonialism and genocide. At the very least, it opposes military occupation and genocide. What Spain has achieved so far in its stance sets an example for the rest of Europe to emulate. It is politically viable to take a stance against Israeli colonialism, military occupation and genocide.

In other unexpected turns, less powerful that Spain but nonetheless worth noting, Germany criticised Israel’s death penalty bill for Palestinians. “The government is also concerned that such a law would likely apply exclusively to Palestinians in the Palestinian territories,” Stefan Kornelius, spokesperson to the German government, declared. “It therefore regrets the Knesset’s decision and cannot endorse it.”

READ: In Israel’s colonial ethnic cleansing, the world fails stand for decolonisation

Also, following German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s criticism over Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reverted to Holocaust history to obfuscate the present colonial settlement expansion, warning that Germany cannot dictate where Jews should live. The comments prompted Israel’s ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor to oppose Smotrich, reminding that Germany is “our number one friend” in Europe.

Spain has certainly ignited an alternative way, and one that is exposing rifts even within Israeli politics. Whining about antisemitism over the burning of Netanyahu’s effigy may be temporarily amplified, but Spain’s stance is not about a symbolic effigy. A single, constant opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza had the power to expose the instability of Israel’s political reasoning, as well as the threats directed at any country opposing its actions.

If Spain can manage that stance on its own, and if Germany can coherently oppose the death penalty for Palestinians, a political stance towards decolonisation as Israel escalates its aggression against anyone opposing it is more than possible. It is imperative.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump warns against following the Onaquietday.org blog, says that he's heard that she's a which with a black cat and a dangerous kitchen.
Donald Trump warns against following the Onaquietday.org blog, says that he’s heard that she’s a which with a black cat and a dangerous kitchen.
Continue ReadingCracks in Europe’s support for colonial violence and genocide

Hezbollah launches ‘hard-to-detect’ drone for first time: Israeli broadcaster

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Firefighters work where rockets fired by Hezbollah reportedly struck several locations in Nahariya, Israel’s northern Galilee region, on March 16, 2026. [Samir Abdalhade – Anadolu Agency]

The Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that Hezbollah launched at least 40 drones towards northern Israel on Monday, causing significant damage. Among them was a drone deployed for the first time, equipped with an optical guidance system that makes it difficult to detect.

According to the broadcaster, one of the drones crashed in the settlement of Kiryat Shmona. 

It said only a small number of the drones were intercepted, while the rest struck targets, causing heavy damage, without providing further details.

Kan added that the new drone is considered an advanced aerial system, resistant to electronic warfare and difficult to detect or stop. It said the drone can manoeuvre inside buildings, carry up to 5 kilograms of explosives, and reach ranges of tens of kilometres.

Separately, the Israeli website Globes reported that Hezbollah has recently begun using FPV (first-person view) drones to target Israeli tanks and armoured personnel carriers in southern Lebanon.

READ: UNESCO-listed shrine destroyed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ...
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone …
Donald Trump warns against following the Onaquietday.org blog, says that he's heard that she's a which with a black cat and a dangerous kitchen.
Donald Trump warns against following the Onaquietday.org blog, says that he’s heard that she’s a which with a black cat and a dangerous kitchen.

Continue ReadingHezbollah launches ‘hard-to-detect’ drone for first time: Israeli broadcaster

Israeli airstrikes hit southern Lebanon and Tyre’s ancient citadel

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Smoke rises as the Israeli army carries out airstrikes on multiple locations in southern Lebanon on February 28, 2026. [Ramiz Dallah – Anadolu Agency]

Israeli warplanes launched a series of airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Monday, targeting the town of Qantara and the outskirts of Tibnin, while artillery shelling struck the ancient citadel of Tyre, a site listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.

According to the Lebanese National News Agency, the citadel area includes the shrine and tomb of Prophet Simeon the Just, raising concerns over damage to cultural and historical heritage.

Israeli drones and artillery also targeted multiple towns and villages across southern Lebanon, amid continued escalation.

READ: UNESCO-listed shrine destroyed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon

An earlier airstrike on the town of Bustan resulted in the deaths of several Syrian workers, while another strike on Nabatieh al-Fawqa killed a young man.

Israeli air operations have also extended to the southern suburbs of Beirut and areas in southeastern and northern Lebanon, alongside a ground incursion that began in mid-March.

The escalation follows ongoing hostilities since 2nd March, after Hezbollah launched attacks on Israeli-controlled areas in response to US and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28th February.

Israeli airstrikes continue across Lebanon, contributing to rising casualties and increasing concerns over further regional escalation.

READ: Algerian president, Pope Leo XIV call for justice for Palestinians

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump warns against following the Onaquietday.org blog, says that he's heard that she's a which with a black cat and a dangerous kitchen.
Donald Trump warns against following the Onaquietday.org blog, says that he’s heard that she’s a which with a black cat and a dangerous kitchen.

Continue ReadingIsraeli airstrikes hit southern Lebanon and Tyre’s ancient citadel