Weekend Recap: Lebanon / Hezbollah
By Sammy Tisser,
The IDF said it struck roughly 150 Hezbollah infrastructure targets across southern Lebanon over the weekend, including weapon depots, command centers, and rocket launchers. Separately, the military said it eliminated a Hezbollah operative who had been using a UNIFIL base in the Burj Qalaouiyah area for military activity before leaving the site and approaching Israeli forces in what the IDF described as a threatening manner. The military said a precise strike took out the operative while avoiding damage to the adjacent UN facility.
Hezbollah launched surface-to-air missiles at an Israeli Air Force aircraft, triggering sirens in Kiryat Shmona and nearby communities, the first alert in Israel in over a day. The IDF said the aircraft was undamaged. A separate drone incident saw one Hezbollah drone intercepted and two others landing in an area of southern Lebanon where troops were operating, with no injuries reported.
The IDF issued evacuation orders for five southern Lebanese villages, Aaramta, Machghara, Kafr Houna, Sejoud, and Ansariyeh, instructing residents to move north of the Zahrani River ahead of planned operations against Hezbollah.
Lebanese Army Strike
Israel struck a Lebanese Armed Forces vehicle on a road between Kfar Tebnit and Khardali in the Nabatieh area, killing a brigadier general, a captain, and a soldier. The IDF said the vehicle was moving suspiciously through an active combat zone where Hezbollah is known to operate, and that troops were on heightened alert for potential attacks. The military said it is investigating the incident and reiterated that its operations target Hezbollah, not the Lebanese army.
Hebron Shooting
IDF troops shot and killed a seven-month-old infant, Sam Fahd Abou Haikal, and lightly wounded his parents after firing on their vehicle in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron. The family was traveling from Bethlehem to visit relatives. The IDF said soldiers opened fire after perceiving the car accelerating toward them, but an initial inquiry determined those inside were uninvolved civilians. The military said it expresses deep sorrow and has referred the incident for review.
The infant's father disputed the IDF's account, telling Haaretz the car had come to a full stop on soldiers' orders before a soldier approximately ten meters away fired without warning, in daylight, with the family clearly visible. The father called for the soldier responsible to be held accountable.
Iran-US Escalation
US forces struck Iranian coastal radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island, describing the action as defensive after Iran launched four attack drones toward the Strait of Hormuz. The US said all four drones were shot down before reaching their target.
Iran responded by firing seven ballistic missiles at US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. CENTCOM said it intercepted six of the missiles and the seventh fell short. No US personnel were reported harmed, and the military denied Iranian claims of damage to the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.
Iran's IRGC claimed responsibility for the missile strikes. Kuwait and Bahrain both condemned the attacks as violations of their sovereignty. The strikes came days after an Iranian drone hit a passenger terminal at Kuwait's main international airport, killing one person and wounding dozens.
Iran condemned the US radar strikes as a violation of the existing ceasefire and an attack on its territorial integrity.
Iran-US Diplomacy
Lebanese army chief Rodolphe Haykal traveled to Pakistan to meet Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, with sources telling AFP the visit is connected to Pakistani-mediated talks between Washington and Tehran. A source described Lebanon as a critical part of the negotiations.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Iran of using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in its negotiations with the US. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected the characterization, arguing that Israel, not Iran, was occupying Lebanese territory and displacing its population, and urged Aoun to focus on what he called Lebanon's real adversary.
President Trump, in an NBC interview, said Iran retains roughly 21 to 22 percent of its pre-war missile capacity following US strikes on its military infrastructure. He said Iran has not agreed to a deal due to national pride but predicted it would eventually have no choice but to come to terms.
Kuwait Arms Deal
The US State Department approved a potential $1.98 billion sale of counter-drone systems to Kuwait, with Anduril as the principal contractor.
Gaza
The IDF said it killed Hamas cell commander Muhanad Othman Yassin Farwana in an airstrike in southern Gaza overnight, saying he had been planning attacks against Israeli forces and posed an active threat.
FIFA / Iran Visas
Iran accused the United States of discriminatory treatment after the US denied visas to roughly 15 members of its World Cup delegation's administrative and management staff, despite granting visas to players. The Iranian embassy said the move represented deliberate discrimination against its national team.
Topics: Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon & Hezbollah
Reported by Sammy Tisser for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.