A week of intense fighting in southern Lebanon ended with the Israeli political leadership ordering a ceasefire, even as IDF forces remained deployed in the security zone and continued operating at key combat sites. The main fighting focused on the Tebnit area, where the IDF says Givati Brigade and the 401st Brigade, under Division 36, found a Hezbollah underground facility more than one kilometer long and trapped dozens of militants after sealing the exits. The IDF also said it still holds the Beaufort Ridge, which it described as a key control point once used for fire toward northern Israeli communities.
The week’s deadliest incidents included the death of Sgt. Maj. Alexander Filin in a roadside explosive blast in the village of A-Taybeh on Tuesday. Seven other soldiers were wounded, including Division 36’s deputy commander, after what the military said was likely a Hezbollah device. Hours earlier, six more soldiers were hurt in two separate explosive drone strikes in southern Lebanon. Late Thursday into Friday, a suspicious strike hit the tank of Lt. Col. Dor Gdalia Ben Shimon, commander of Battalion 52, in Tebnit, killing the four soldiers inside. The army has so far released the names of Ben Shimon and Sgt. Yuval Klein, while the other two fallen soldiers were not yet named.
Less than a day later, in the same area, a commando unit took a direct hit from a mortar shell and an explosive drone. Sgt. Nir Ben Ari of the Maglan unit was killed, and 13 more soldiers were wounded, two of them seriously. In response to the successive incidents, the IDF expanded strikes on Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s health ministry said 83 people were killed and 141 wounded in Israeli strikes since yesterday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would impose a “heavy price” for any ceasefire violation and would respond forcefully to harm against soldiers or civilians. Meanwhile, Iran escalated its own rhetoric, announcing the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and warning of further steps if fighting continues. Israel and the United States said they were monitoring the situation and remained at high operational readiness.
Despite the ceasefire order, Israeli officials said there is no withdrawal from southern Lebanon and that forces will keep holding the Yellow Line and the forward defense zone, with only preplanned rotations and no major change in deployment. At the same time, efforts resumed to restart U.S.-Iran talks, delayed by the Lebanon escalation. Pakistan’s foreign ministry said technical-level talks will be held in Switzerland with U.S. and Iranian representatives, with mediators from Pakistan and Qatar. CNN reported that U.S. Vice President JD Vance may travel there, while Iranian media said Tehran’s delegation has already departed under parliamentary speaker Mohammad Qalibaf. Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is already in Switzerland, and White House envoy Steve Witkoff is on his way, while Jared Kushner is already there.
