Hezbollah says clashed with Israeli troops at point-blank range beyond 'yellow line' in south Lebanon

Source: AFP

Hezbollah reported that its fighters engaged Israeli forces beyond an Israeli-declared "yellow line" in southern Lebanon on Wednesday (May 27, 2026), despite an existing ceasefire. The clash came a day after Israel announced it was expanding ground operations in the region.

Escalation in Strikes and Evacuations

Israel intensified its strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon on Tuesday (May 26), issuing evacuation warnings for at least 50 towns and villages. At least 31 people were killed as Hezbollah also maintained its attacks.

An AFP correspondent at one strike site in Burj al-Shemali, near the city of Tyre, observed rescue workers removing debris on Wednesday and carrying a white body bag from the rubble, which was littered with items including rugs and cushions. The state-run National News Agency (NNA), citing the mayor, reported that 15 people were killed there.

Clashes Beyond the 'Yellow Line'

Iran-backed Hezbollah stated that its fighters "clashed with the enemy forces at point-blank range" in the town of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, located just beyond the Israeli-declared "yellow line" in south Lebanon where Israeli troops have been operating.

Since early Tuesday, the group had reported that its fighters were confronting Israeli troops attempting to penetrate the town, which holds strategic importance due to its proximity to the major southern city of Nabatieh, just six kilometres (four miles) away.

Israeli Military Operations

The Israeli army renewed an evacuation warning for Nabatieh on Wednesday (May 27), after issuing a similar warning a day earlier. It stated it would act "forcefully" against Hezbollah, which it accuses of violating the ceasefire.

Israel subsequently reported that it was striking "Hezbollah infrastructure sites" in the eastern Bekaa valley and south Lebanon, as the NNA reported raids in both regions. The Israeli army also said that over the past day it had struck "more than 150 Hezbollah infrastructure sites and terrorists in the areas of Tyre and Nabatieh in southern Lebanon" and in the Bekaa.

The troop movement toward Zawtar al-Sharqiyah follows a military official's statement on Tuesday that soldiers had begun operating beyond the "yellow line," which runs approximately 10 kilometres deep inside Lebanese territory.

'Buffer Zone' and Strategic Positions

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the Israeli army "is operating with substantial forces on the ground and securing strategically dominant positions. We are reinforcing the security buffer zone in order to protect the communities of northern Israel."

Focus on West Bekaa

After Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the broader West Asia war with rocket fire at Israel in retaliation for strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader, Israel has repeatedly struck Lebanon's eastern Bekaa valley and warned residents to evacuate.

In recent days, strikes there have intensified, including focusing on the West Bekaa town of Mashghara, where hundreds of displaced people had been sheltering and which has now largely emptied. Mayor Iskandar Barakeh told AFP that he was worried that "the West Bekaa region is becoming the scene of rear confrontations" between Israel and Hezbollah.

The West Bekaa links south Lebanon with Hezbollah strongholds in the northern Bekaa and is a key supply route for the group. Lebanese military expert Hassan Jouni told AFP that the West Bekaa "is a necessary corridor for Hezbollah members if they want to move between the Bekaa and the south" and could become the further focus of Israeli strikes.

Upcoming Talks

Israel this week vowed to intensify operations in Lebanon, a move that came ahead of talks on Friday (May 29, 2026) between Lebanese and Israeli military delegations at the Pentagon, and a new round of direct negotiations next week aimed at ending the hostilities.