Lebanese Army Pulls Back from Kfar Tebnit After Israeli Advance

The Lebanese army withdrew its troops from the Kfar Tebnit barracks on Saturday after Israeli forces moved into the area, a senior military official said on condition of anonymity. The pull-back coincided with an Israeli evacuation warning covering about 20 locations, including the southern city of Nabatiyeh and surrounding villages.

State media reported Israeli airstrikes on villages near Nabatiyeh that killed two people in Deir al-Zahrani and artillery fire on the city itself. Israeli troops appear to be targeting the strategic Ali Taher hill on the edge of Kfar Tebnit, which overlooks Nabatiyeh and key roadways.

Hezbollah said its fighters launched several attacks on Saturday, including a drone strike on Israeli troops near Kfar Tebnit and another drone that wounded a Lebanese soldier traveling near a hospital in Nabatiyeh.

The developments come as diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran progress toward a broader regional cease-fire, which Iranian officials say will include Lebanon. Hezbollah officials have indicated that Tehran has informed them Lebanon will be part of any future agreement.

Since the cease-fire announced on April 17 was renewed, fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah has continued, with both sides reporting casualties. The Lebanese health ministry estimates more than 3,700 deaths in Lebanon since the conflict escalated in early March, while Israeli sources report dozens of soldier and contractor fatalities in southern Lebanon.