Southern Lebanon has been rocked by a series of intense Israeli airstrikes since early morning, with heavy bombs targeting multiple towns in the eastern sector. The Israeli military launched strikes on several areas, including the town of Markaba in the Marjayoun district, Ayta al-Shaab, the Al-Oweida hill, and the vicinity of Taybeh and Adaisseh. 

At dawn, airstrikes struck the town of Kfarkila once and the town of Khyam twice, alongside fierce bombardments targeting Taybeh. 

In Nabatiyeh, an Israeli strike hit the southern city's municipality building, killing at least six people and injuring 43 others as per the initial toll issued by the Health Ministry. 

“The mayor of Nabatiyeh, among others… was martyred. It’s a massacre,” Nabatiyeh governor Howaida Turk told AFP.

Turk also said that 11 airstrikes have so far hit Nabatiyeh and its surroundings, noting that the intense raids “formed a kind of belt of fire” in the area. 

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the "new Israeli aggression against civilians in the city of Nabatiyeh," denouncing that it had deliberately targeted a meeting of the municipal council that was discussing the city’s services and relief situation.

Later, the Israeli army confirmed that its air force aircraft had struck dozens of Hezbollah targets around Nabatiyeh, including weapons stashes and command centers, noting that they were all located next to civilian structures.

The military also announced that the 8th Reserve Brigade and the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit destroyed a tunnel and bunker network belonging to Hezbollah’s Radwan force, noting that the underground complex, which included rooms for extended stays and weapons caches, had been established under civilian homes.

The Lebanese health ministry said at least five people were killed in the Israeli strike that hit a municipal building in Nabatieh. 

In parallel with the air raids, Israeli drones have been flying at medium altitudes over Iqlim al-Kharroub and at very low altitudes along the Lebanese-Syrian border in Hermel. Drones were reported hovering over previously targeted crossings, particularly in the areas of Hawsh al-Sayyed Ali and Jurmash, preventing local residents from reopening roads damaged during earlier strikes.

Ground clashes were also reported, with fighting between the Israeli army and Hezbollah intensifying in the towns of Ramyah, Ayta al-Shaab, and al-Qawzah. 

In a statement released this morning, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for launching a large rocket barrage aimed at Israeli military positions. The group announced that rockets targeted an Israeli artillery base in Safed, along with positions in Dalton and Dishon, and struck the Israeli settlement of Yiftah.