Israeli drones and ground forces ramped up attacks on southern Lebanon, targeting villages, UNIFIL positions and suspected Hezbollah sites.
On 15 November 2026, an Israeli drone skimmed the rooftops of a residential district in southern Lebanon, drawing attention to a broader escalation that includes artillery, tank fire and demolition operations. While Israel maintains that its campaign is aimed at Hezbollah infrastructure, the low-altitude flight coincided with a wave of strikes across several towns that remain outside the declared buffer zone.
In the afternoon, a drone strike hit the Jarmak area of the Jezzine district, an enclave that lies beyond the Israeli-occupied buffer. Earlier, on 27 October, a missile from an Israeli drone struck near St Maron’s Church in the same town, though no casualties were reported.
The same day saw four missiles land on the outskirts of Shouayya in Hasbaya, an area historically spared from heavy attacks.
Drone and missile assaults on civilian locations
Beyond Jarmak, Israeli aircraft released missiles on Deir Mimas and Al-Jarmaq while villagers were harvesting olives.
Local reports indicate that several residents suffered injuries, although the exact number is still being confirmed. In addition, the air force targeted at least five settlements (Kfar Tibnit, Mayfadun, Markaba, Tallous and Al-Qantara) describing the sites as belonging to Hezbollah.
These aerial operations were accompanied by a series of ground-based explosions. Israeli warplanes struck Kfar Tibnit and Qantara (Marjayoun) early Monday, following overnight attacks on Mansouri, Haddatha, the outskirts of Braasheet (Bint Jbeil) and Wadi Slouqi near Shaqra. Dawn artillery shells hit Wadi Hujeir, Braasheet and the fringe of Haris, while automatic gunfire was reported in Qantara.
Artillery, tanks and demolition teams on the ground
Throughout the day, Israeli artillery shelled Mansouri (Sour), Zawtar Sharqieh (Nabatieh) and additional points in Wadi Slouqi (Marjayoun). Tanks advanced toward the eastern edge of Kfar Shuba in Hasbaya, accompanied by three military vehicles, a civilian car and a bulldozer. The convoy entered a zone that spans more than 600 square kilometres of southern Lebanon under Israeli control.
In the Shanouh sector, an Israeli patrol intercepted olive-growers who had received permission from the cease-fire monitoring mechanism to access their groves. After marking the allowed zones, the soldiers eventually let the farmers work within the “yellow line” after a new permit was issued. Later, an excavator demolished a house in Kfar Shuba, adding to the tally of structures destroyed.
Findings near UNIFIL positions and official statements
Israeli forces disclosed the discovery of two weapon caches in Mais al-Jabal and an alleged Hezbollah operations room in Tiri. According to Ella Waweya, the Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli army, the 9th “Oded” Brigade located one depot inside a civilian house roughly 200 meters from a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) post, and another in a warehouse about 100 meters from the same post. Items seized included Kalashnikov rifles, rockets, RPG launchers, a machine gun, grenades, an explosive device, ammunition, communications gear and boxes of humanitarian aid marked with Hezbollah and Amal symbols.
The Kfir Brigade reported an “operational apartment” in Tiri, situated approximately 250 meters from a UNIFIL position, containing reconnaissance and combat equipment along with supplies for prolonged stay. The latest UNIFIL map shows two bases near Mais al-Jabal and two positions near Tiri, underscoring the proximity of the finds to the peacekeeping force.
Waweya characterised these discoveries as “further proof” that UNIFIL has “not succeeded in fulfilling its mission,” accusing “terrorist organisations” of exploiting the perceived inaction of the Blue Helmets. The statements were posted on the Israeli army’s X account, reinforcing the narrative that the strikes are justified by the presence of illicit arsenals near UN peacekeepers.
Overall, the coordinated use of low-altitude drones, missile strikes, artillery barrages and ground incursions marks a significant intensification of hostilities in southern Lebanon, raising concerns about civilian safety and the effectiveness of the UNIFIL mandate.
