{"id":110472,"date":"2026-05-12T16:49:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T16:49:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/110472\/"},"modified":"2026-05-12T16:49:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T16:49:15","slug":"idf-says-it-carried-out-weeklong-raid-on-hezbollah-sites-beyond-lebanons-litani-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/110472\/","title":{"rendered":"IDF says it carried out weeklong raid on Hezbollah sites beyond Lebanon\u2019s Litani River"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Israel Defense Forces announced Tuesday that its troops recently crossed the Litani River for a weeklong raid against Hezbollah, as the terror group\u2019s leader rejected any attempt by Israeli and Lebanese officials to achieve its disarmament during upcoming peace talks in Washington.<\/p>\n<p>The weeklong raid was led by the Golani Brigade\u2019s Reconnaissance Unit. The IDF said the troops achieved \u201coperational control\u201d over the area and worked to clear it of Hezbollah infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>The soldiers did not cross the line demarcating the IDF\u2019s new security zone in southern Lebanon, referred to by some in the army as the \u201cYellow Line,\u201d which is also the term used for the ceasefire line in the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n<p>During the raid, the military said, troops encountered numerous Hezbollah operatives and killed dozens of them in close-quarters combat and by directing airstrikes.<\/p>\n<p>Officers involved in the operation described the terrain as \u201cvery complex,\u201d as the river in the area is situated in a forested valley. Despite this, the troops managed to cross the river with armored vehicles. The army carried out engineering activity in the area to enable easier crossing of the river by troops in the future if required, the army said.<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\tGet The Times of Israel&#8217;s Daily Edition<br \/>\n\t\t\tby email and never miss our top stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/terms\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">terms<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Israeli Air Force struck over 100 targets in the area in support of the ground troops, the military added.<\/p>\n<p>Inside a Hezbollah tunnel found by IDF troops near the Litani River in southern Lebanon, in a video published by the IDF on May 12, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)<\/p>\n<p>Israeli strikes Monday night on a town in southern Lebanon killed six people and wounded seven others, according to a Lebanese state media report that did not distinguish between civilians and combatants.<\/p>\n<p>According to the National News Agency (NNA), Israeli strikes hit a house in Kfar Dounine, a town about 95 kilometers (59 miles) from Beirut.<\/p>\n<p>NNA reported the wounded were transported to hospitals in the coastal city of Tyre.<\/p>\n<p>There was no immediate comment from the IDF on the strike.<\/p>\n<p>\t<a href=\"https:\/\/static-cdn.toi-media.com\/www\/uploads\/2026\/05\/967cc737-2aaa-4174-bda5-9a1fd17f45cb.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-3821653\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/967cc737-2aaa-4174-bda5-9a1fd17f45cb-640x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"375\"\/><\/a><br \/>\n\t\tAn IDF tank is seen at the Litani River in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo published by the military on May 12, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)<\/p>\n<p>IDF: Struck 45 Hezbollah targets in 24 hours<\/p>\n<p>The IDF said Tuesday morning that it had struck some 45 total Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon over the preceding 24 hours, including command centers, surveillance posts, staging grounds, buildings used by the terror group, and some 10 weapon depots.<\/p>\n<p>The IAF also struck Hezbollah missile launchers and several operatives who posed a threat to IDF troops in the area, the military added.<\/p>\n<p>Two Lebanese civil defense members were killed in a strike on Tuesday in the southern town of Nabatieh on Tuesday while carrying out a rescue mission after an earlier attack, Lebanon\u2019s state news agency NNA reported.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, the IDF said troops identified and struck a Hezbollah launch cell after it fired rockets at forces operating in the area. The army published footage of the strike.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"iw\" dir=\"rtl\">\u05ea\u05d9\u05e2\u05d5\u05d3: \u05db\u05d5\u05d7\u05d5\u05ea \u05d0\u05d5\u05d2\u05d3\u05d4 91 \u05d7\u05d9\u05e1\u05dc\u05d5 \u05d7\u05d5\u05dc\u05d9\u05d9\u05ea \u05e9\u05d9\u05d2\u05d5\u05e8 \u05e9\u05e4\u05e2\u05dc\u05d4 \u05dc\u05d4\u05e2\u05d1\u05d9\u05e8 \u05de\u05e9\u05d2\u05e8 \u05d8\u05d9\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd \u05e2\u05dc \u05d2\u05d1\u05d9 \u05de\u05e9\u05d0\u05d9\u05ea \u05dc\u05d0\u05d7\u05e8 \u05e9\u05d1\u05d9\u05e6\u05e2\u05d4 \u05d9\u05e8\u05d9 \u05dc\u05e2\u05d1\u05e8 \u05db\u05d5\u05d7\u05d5\u05ea\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5<\/p>\n<p>\u05d7\u05d8\u05d9\u05d1\u05ea \u05d4\u05d0\u05e9 \u05e9\u05dc \u05d0\u05d5\u05d2\u05d3\u05d4 91 \u05d6\u05d9\u05d4\u05ea\u05d4 \u05d7\u05d5\u05dc\u05d9\u05d9\u05ea \u05e9\u05d9\u05d2\u05d5\u05e8 \u05e9\u05e4\u05e2\u05dc\u05d4 \u05dc\u05d4\u05e2\u05d1\u05d9\u05e8 \u05de\u05e9\u05d2\u05e8 \u05d8\u05d9\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd \u05e2\u05dc \u05d2\u05d1\u05d9 \u05de\u05e9\u05d0\u05d9\u05ea, \u05d6\u05d0\u05ea \u05dc\u05d0\u05d7\u05e8 \u05e9\u05e9\u05d9\u05d2\u05e8 \u05e8\u05e7\u05d8\u05d5\u05ea \u05dc\u05e2\u05d1\u05e8 \u05db\u05d5\u05d7\u05d5\u05ea \u05e6\u05d4&#8221;\u05dc \u05d4\u05e4\u05d5\u05e2\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05d3\u05e8\u05d5\u05dd \u05dc\u05d1\u05e0\u05d5\u05df. <\/p>\n<p>\u05dc\u05d0\u05d7\u05e8 \u05d4\u05d6\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d9, \u05d7\u05d9\u05dc \u05d4\u05d0\u05d5\u05d5\u05d9\u05e8 \u05d1\u05d4\u05db\u05d5\u05d5\u05e0\u05ea\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jOMdJJmnfd\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/jOMdJJmnfd<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \u05e6\u05d1\u05d0 \u05d4\u05d4\u05d2\u05e0\u05d4 \u05dc\u05d9\u05e9\u05e8\u05d0\u05dc (@idfonline) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/idfonline\/status\/2053867864717709537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">May 11, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Hezbollah also fired several rockets at Israeli troops stationed in southern Lebanon overnight Monday-Tuesday; the military said the rockets struck open areas, and did not cause any injuries.\n<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, Hezbollah fired a surface-to-air missile at an Israeli drone operating over southern Lebanon. The military said the terror group\u2019s missile launch \u201cfailed,\u201d and no damage or injuries were caused in the incident.<\/p>\n<p>A short while later, the IAF struck a suspect who fled from the area of the missile launch on a motorcycle, the IDF added.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"iw\" dir=\"rtl\">\u05dc\u05e4\u05e0\u05d9 \u05d6\u05de\u05df \u05e7\u05e6\u05e8, \u05db\u05d7\u05dc\u05e7 \u05de\u05e4\u05e2\u05d9\u05dc\u05d5\u05ea \u05e1\u05d9\u05d5\u05e2 \u05e9\u05dc \u05d7\u05d9\u05dc \u05d4\u05d0\u05d5\u05d5\u05d9\u05e8 \u05dc\u05db\u05d5\u05d7\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05dc\u05d5\u05d7\u05de\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05d3\u05e8\u05d5\u05dd \u05dc\u05d1\u05e0\u05d5\u05df, \u05d1\u05d5\u05e6\u05e2 \u05e0\u05d9\u05e1\u05d9\u05d5\u05df \u05e9\u05d9\u05d2\u05d5\u05e8 \u05db\u05d5\u05e9\u05dc \u05e9\u05dc \u05d8\u05d9\u05dc \u05d6\u05e2\u05d9\u05e8 \u05e7\u05e8\u05e7\u05e2-\u05d0\u05d5\u05d5\u05d9\u05e8 \u05dc\u05e2\u05d1\u05e8 \u05db\u05dc\u05d9 \u05d8\u05d9\u05e1. \u05d0\u05d9\u05df \u05e0\u05d6\u05e7 \u05d5\u05d0\u05d9\u05df \u05e0\u05e4\u05d2\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05db\u05d5\u05d7\u05d5\u05ea\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5.<\/p>\n<p>\u05d1\u05e1\u05d2\u05d9\u05e8\u05ea \u05de\u05e2\u05d2\u05dc \u05de\u05d4\u05d9\u05e8\u05d4, \u05d7\u05d9\u05dc \u05d4\u05d0\u05d5\u05d5\u05d9\u05e8 \u05ea\u05e7\u05e3 \u05d7\u05e9\u05d5\u05d3 \u05e9\u05e0\u05de\u05dc\u05d8 \u05de\u05d9\u05d3 \u05dc\u05d0\u05d7\u05e8 \u05de\u05db\u05df \u05de\u05de\u05e8\u05d7\u05d1 \u05d4\u05e9\u05d9\u05d2\u05d5\u05e8 \u05e2\u05dc \u05d2\u05d1\u05d9 \u05d0\u05d5\u05e4\u05e0\u05d5\u05e2.<\/p>\n<p>\u05d1\u05e0\u05d5\u05e1\u05e3, \u05d7\u05d9\u05dc \u05d4\u05d0\u05d5\u05d5\u05d9\u05e8 \u05d9\u05d9\u05e8\u05d8\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YPvOBs0xOr\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/YPvOBs0xOr<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \u05e6\u05d1\u05d0 \u05d4\u05d4\u05d2\u05e0\u05d4 \u05dc\u05d9\u05e9\u05e8\u05d0\u05dc (@idfonline) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/idfonline\/status\/2054136381404807326?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">May 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p>In a separate incident, the IDF said Hezbollah launched several explosive drones at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. No injuries were caused. The IAF also shot down several apparent drones.\n<\/p>\n<p>The military also said Tuesday afternoon that an interceptor missile was launched at an apparent Hezbollah drone identified over an area of southern Lebanon where troops are deployed.<\/p>\n<p>The IDF said it lost contact with the \u201csuspicious aerial target,\u201d indicating it crashed somewhere. No injuries were reported.<\/p>\n<p>In recent weeks, troops operating near the Lebanese border have come under near-daily attacks from Hezbollah\u2019s explosive drones.<\/p>\n<p>The problem led IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir to convene a high-level discussion on Sunday with defense and intelligence officials on the growing threat, according to Channel 12.<\/p>\n<p>Hezbollah chief: Disarming not part of Israel-Lebanon talks<\/p>\n<p>The latest fighting came amid American attempts to broker an Israel-Lebanon rapprochement.<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said the negotiations would have no effect on his Iran-backed group\u2019s weapons. Disarming Hezbollah has been named by officials as a key goal of the talks, and is an effort Lebanon has previously committed to undertake, though it has not managed to fully implement a plan to do so.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNobody outside Lebanon has anything to do with the weapons, the resistance\u2026 this is an internal Lebanese matter and not part of negotiations with the enemy,\u201d Qassem said in a pre-written statement ahead of a third round of talks this Thursday and Friday.<\/p>\n<p>\t<a href=\"https:\/\/static-cdn.toi-media.com\/www\/uploads\/2026\/04\/vlcsnap-2026-04-14-12h10m15s982-copy.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-3801710\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/vlcsnap-2026-04-14-12h10m15s982-copy-640x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"375\"\/><\/a><br \/>\n\t\tHezbollah leader Naim Qassem gives a televised address in Lebabon, April 13, 2026. (Screenshot\/Al Mayadeen via X)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will not surrender and we will continue to defend Lebanon and its people, however long it takes and however great the sacrifices\u2026 we will not abandon the battlefield and we will turn it into hell for Israel,\u201d he added in the statement, which was addressed to the terror group\u2019s fighters and broadcast on its Al-Manar television channel.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met separately with US Ambassador Michel Issa, in preparation for the talks with Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Salam said he asked Issa to \u201cexert pressure on Israel to stop the ongoing attacks and violations, in order to consolidate the ceasefire.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\t<a href=\"https:\/\/static-cdn.toi-media.com\/www\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP26111637611945-e1776955761481.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-3808503\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26111637611945-e1776955761481-640x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"375\"\/><\/a><br \/>\n\t\tLebanon\u2019s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam speaks at a joint declaration press event with France\u2019s President Emmanuel Macron following their meeting at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris, France, April 21, 2026. (Ludovic Marin\/Pool Photo via AP)<\/p>\n<p>Hezbollah and Israel have continued to strike each other despite a US-announced truce, claiming violations. Under the terms of the ceasefire published by Washington, Israel reserves the right to act against \u201cplanned, imminent or ongoing attacks.\u201d It says it only targets terror operatives.<\/p>\n<p>IDF censures commander who let soldiers into Lebanon for unauthorized visit<\/p>\n<p>Amid the developments, the commander of the Givati Brigade, Col. Netanel Shamaka, received a formal censure for allowing four soldiers to enter the southern Lebanon town of Bint Jbeil for \u201cnon-operational purposes\u201d last month.<\/p>\n<p>The military said Tuesday that the incident had been investigated and presented to the relevant commanders, and it was decided by the chief of the Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, to mark Shamaka\u2019s permanent record over the unauthorized visit.<\/p>\n<p>The four troops \u2014 three reservists and one soldier from the standing army \u2014 are bereaved family members whose relatives were killed in Bint Jbeil in previous wars.<\/p>\n<p>During the ceasefire in Lebanon, Shamaka allowed the four to enter Bint Jbeil to recite Kaddish, the mourner\u2019s prayer, even though Hezbollah operatives were still holed up in the town.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Israel Defense Forces announced Tuesday that its troops recently crossed the Litani River for a weeklong raid&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":110473,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[27975,100,849,93,1441,3925,3304],"class_list":{"0":"post-110472","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-lebanon","8":"tag-2026-israel-hezbollah-conflict","9":"tag-hezbollah","10":"tag-joseph-aoun","11":"tag-lebanon","12":"tag-naim-qassem","13":"tag-nawaf-salam","14":"tag-tyre"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@iran\/116562635303698950","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110472","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110472"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110472\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110472"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110472"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110472"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}