Israel Advances into Lebanon's Major Cities – Evidence Shows
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Israeli military has arrived in Nabatieh, one of the largest cities in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military has advanced beyond the Litani River in Lebanon for the first time since 2006 and appears poised to besiege the major city of Nabatieh.
A senior Lebanese military source told Turkish news agency Anadolu that Israeli forces have crossed the Litani River, which Israel has declared as its unofficial buffer zone boundary.
Israeli troops are now on the outskirts of Nabatieh, a city that is key to southern Lebanon’s economy and cultural hub of the region. If this predominantly Shia-majority city falls, it would signal a significant development in Israel’s war against Lebanon and likely lead to an official ceasefire.
Nabatieh is viewed by many Lebanese as a symbol of resistance due to its historical role at the frontline of Israeli attacks.
In a report from the southern city of Tyre, Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto said Israel is expanding its air strikes in southern Lebanon and surrounding Nabatieh in preparation for a possible assault.
“It seems Israel is attempting a final attack to encircle Nabatieh, breach Hezbollah’s second and third lines of defence, and separate the Western Bekaa Valley from the southern part of the country,” Hitto quoted Al Jazeera on Sunday, May 31, 2026.
The Lebanese military reported that two soldiers were severely injured in an Israeli drone attack near Nabatieh.
On Saturday night, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that at least one paramedic was killed and four others injured in an Israeli drone strike in the southern village of Jebchit. The attack also damaged the Lebanon Relief Hospital, but all medical staff, nurses, and ambulances were unharmed.
Elsewhere, Israeli air strikes and artillery fire hit areas around Beaufort Castle, located approximately 15km (nine miles) from the Israeli border and overlooking much of southern Lebanon. The 12th-century castle was controlled by Israeli forces for 18 years until their withdrawal from Lebanon in May 2000.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it launched rockets at the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona. The group also ambushed Israeli troops near Ghandouriyeh in southern Lebanon, claiming to have forced them to retreat.
In a separate statement on the same day, Hezbollah said it destroyed an Israeli military vehicle near Yohmor al-Shaqif village in Lebanon.
Other attacks included drone strikes on an Israeli military command centre in the southern Lebanese village of Naqoura, and a series of missiles targeting Israeli military infrastructure in the northern Israeli city of Nahariyya.
Previously, Israel issued evacuation orders for at least 10 villages in southern Lebanon as it expanded its invasion, despite ongoing peace talks with Lebanese officials.
Israeli military spokesperson for Arabic, Avichay Adraee, ordered residents in several Lebanese villages to evacuate immediately, warning they could be killed if they stay.
Hitto from Al Jazeera said those fleeing their homes had few options, with over 20% of the population, or about 1.2 million people, forced to flee due to the fighting.
“The choices have largely become staying with relatives if possible, or in emergency camps in public parks and open spaces. I’ve seen many families living in their vehicles for extended periods,” Hitto said.
“Some of these families have been displaced continuously since 2023,” he added.
The evacuation orders came a day after Israeli and Lebanese officials met in Washington to discuss a permanent resolution to the war that began in early March, when Iran-backed Hezbollah started attacking Israel following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned what he described as Israel’s unprecedented and dangerous escalation in the south.
In a televised address, Salam defended his government’s direct negotiations with Israel, stating the talks were “the least harmful path” for Lebanon.
Earlier today, Salam held talks with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to discuss security and ongoing negotiations with Israel. According to NNA, they agreed to intensify efforts to end the war, which has triggered a humanitarian crisis.
Aoun also spoke by phone with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stressing the importance of Israel respecting the ongoing ceasefire.
It is known that talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials to end the war are facilitated by the US, with a new round expected in Washington next week.