Israel Strikes Nabatieh After Pulling Back From Beirut Threat, Keeping Southern Offensive Intact
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 2
Israel Strikes Nabatieh After Pulling Back From Beirut Threat, Keeping Southern Offensive Intact
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 2
Fresh Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon on Tuesday, and the military ordered evacuations in Nabatieh, one of the region’s largest cities, signaling no pause in the campaign against Hezbollah.
Netanyahu stepped back from an immediate strike on Beirut after pressure from Trump and the U.N., but said operations in southern Lebanon would continue “as planned” and offered no cease-fire there.
U.S.-mediated Israeli-Lebanese talks were due to resume in Washington the same day, even as Lebanon’s government said Hezbollah had accepted a mutual halt to attacks and Trump claimed both sides would hold fire.
The fighting is also tied to wider U.S.-Iran diplomacy: Tehran has said any peace deal must end hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, while oil swung after a 4% jump Monday and Brent fell about 2% Tuesday.
Is Israel’s Lebanon offensive a security imperative or a gambit to derail the fragile U.S.-Iran peace talks?
With a shaky ceasefire rattling oil markets, can a U.S.-Iran deal finally reopen the Strait of Hormuz?
As Israeli forces seize a 900-year-old fortress, are their actions creating security or committing potential war crimes?
Southern Lebanon 2026: Israeli Advance, Hezbollah Resistance, and a Deepening Humanitarian Catastrophe
Overview
From late May to early June 2026, southern Lebanon saw a sharp escalation in conflict as Israeli forces intensified their military campaign, including an airstrike near Choueifat targeting a key missile commander. This was followed by a visible show of control, with Israeli and Golani Brigade flags raised at Beaufort Castle, signaling significant Israeli presence in the area. In response, Hezbollah launched retaliatory attacks. These actions have worsened the humanitarian crisis, causing more civilian suffering and displacement, and making the situation in the region even more dire.