ALBAWABA- A rocket barrage by Hezbollah on northern Israel has killed at least two settlers and wounded several others, as Israeli forces intensify ground operations in southern Lebanon and move to establish an expanded buffer zone reaching the Litani River.
Israeli emergency services said a 27-year-old woman was killed in a strike near Mahanayim Junction in the Upper Galilee on Wednesday, while others were injured by shrapnel. In parallel clashes inside Lebanon, Israeli troops also sustained casualties, including several soldiers who were reported seriously wounded.
Hezbollah said it carried out multiple rocket and missile attacks targeting Israeli military positions and northern communities, including Kiryat Shmona, as well as strikes on advancing forces in southern Lebanese villages. The group described the attacks as retaliation for ongoing Israeli airstrikes and ground incursions.
Israel has stepped up its military campaign with sustained airstrikes and a deeper ground advance aimed at weakening Hezbollah’s capabilities. Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces are establishing a “security zone” extending to the Litani River, around 30 kilometres inside Lebanon, adding that key crossings have been destroyed to restrict militant movement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has endorsed the plan, while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich went further, suggesting the Litani River should effectively serve as Israel’s northern boundary, drawing comparisons with buffer arrangements in Gaza and Syria.
Regional officials have strongly criticised the escalation. Badr Abdelatty, Egypt’s foreign minister, condemned Israel’s ground incursion as a violation of Lebanese sovereignty and international law, calling for an immediate ceasefire, full withdrawal, and support for Lebanese state institutions.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Israel of rejecting ceasefire efforts and escalating militarily, while reaffirming Lebanon’s readiness for negotiations under international auspices once fighting stops. He warned of mounting humanitarian costs, with over 1,000 reported killed and more than one million displaced.
The escalation forms part of the broader regional confrontation linked to the US–Israel strikes on Iran, with Hezbollah acting as a key Iran-aligned force. Israel maintains that pushing its operations to the Litani River is necessary to secure its northern border, while critics view the move as a significant territorial escalation.
