Israel pursuing ‘scorched earth’ policy, says Lebanon PM, as more airstrikes hit country’s south
Lebanon’s prime minister accused Israel of a “scorched-earth policy” in the south as airstrikes and drone attacks killed at least 15 people.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
Nawaf Salam said Israel was collectively punishing southern Lebanon, while fresh strikes, evacuation warnings, and Hezbollah rocket fire showed the ceasefire with the group remains brittle and largely unenforced.
Lebanon and Israel are still fighting near their border, even though a stop-fighting deal was supposed to help calm things down. Now Lebanon says Israel is hitting towns in the south so hard that people are being pushed out.
It is like two neighbors who agreed to stop throwing rocks, but both keep saying the other started it first. That makes the street feel unsafe for everyone nearby.
The leaders are still talking, though. Lebanon says those talks might be the cheapest way to avoid even bigger trouble, but the fighting shows the peace is very shaky.
Analysis
What happened
Lebanon’s prime minister, Nawaf Salam, accused Israel of pursuing a “scorched-earth policy” in southern Lebanon after more Israeli airstrikes and drone attacks hit the area late Friday and into Saturday. Lebanon’s health ministry said at least 15 people were killed and several others wounded.
Salam said Israel was collectively punishing the south by destroying towns and villages and forcing residents out. He warned that the escalation was dangerous and called for a “swift and real ceasefire.”
The diplomatic track
Despite the fighting, Salam defended his government’s engagement with Israel through security talks held in Washington on Friday. He said the talks were not guaranteed to succeed, but described them as the least costly option for Lebanon. More US-brokered talks are planned next week.
The article says a truce that officially took effect on 17 April has not been observed. Both Israel and Hezbollah accuse the other of violating it. A US statement after the talks referred to “productive military-to-military discussions” but did not mention the truce.
The military picture
Lebanon’s state news agency reported several attacks in the south, and the Lebanese army said two soldiers were seriously wounded by a hostile Israeli drone near Nabatieh. Israel issued new evacuation warnings for villages near Nabatieh and in the east.
Hezbollah said it launched attacks on northern Israel and fought Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military said more than 25 projectiles were launched from Lebanon, and sirens sounded in Karmiel and Safed for the first time since the ceasefire. Kan showed footage of rockets falling into the sea near Nahariya.
Netanyahu said on Friday that Israeli forces had pushed beyond the Litani River and were hitting Hezbollah directly.
Key points
- Lebanon’s prime minister accused Israel of a “scorched-earth policy” in the south.
- Israeli strikes and drone attacks killed at least 15 people, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
- Lebanese and Israeli forces continued exchanging fire despite a truce that officially took effect on 17 April.
- The US is mediating military and political talks, with more negotiations planned next week.
- Hezbollah said it attacked northern Israel and fought Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon.
