Israeli military operations continued across southern Lebanon despite an ongoing ceasefire, with plans to expand the army’s presence on the ground and sustained strikes and demolitions reported in multiple areas, according to Israeli and Lebanese media reports.

Israel's Channel 12 quoted a source as saying the Israeli army intends to establish 20 military positions in southern Lebanon, underscoring that operations are proceeding even under the truce.

Overnight and into the early hours, Israeli warplanes struck the town of Tayri in the Bint Jbeil district, while a drone hit a house in Borj Qalaouiyeh at dawn. Israeli forces also detonated a number of residential buildings in the towns of Shamaa, Naqoura and Al-Bayada in the Tyre district.

Low-altitude drone and reconnaissance flights were reported across large parts of the country. Aircraft were seen over Tyre and surrounding villages, while Lebanon’s National News Agency said drones were also flying over Beirut and its southern suburbs since the morning. Similar activity was reported over Baalbek and nearby areas in the Bekaa Valley, as well as over Sidon and its eastern outskirts. A drone was also spotted over the Qasmiyeh bridge as search teams combed the river for two missing bodies.

In Tyre, rescue teams recovered a body from beneath the rubble of the Salameh building, which had been struck by Israeli aircraft just minutes before the ceasefire took effect. The death toll from that strike has risen to 19, with four people still missing as search operations continue.

The Israeli military said it had targeted a ready-to-launch Hezbollah rocket platform in the Qalaouiyeh area, north of what it describes as its forward defense line. Army spokesman Avichay Adraee said the launcher posed “an immediate threat” to both Israeli troops and civilians.

“Overnight, the Israeli army targeted a loaded launcher ready for use… to prevent a direct threat to northern communities,” Adraee said in a post on X, adding that the strike was carried out to eliminate the danger.

He said the military would continue taking “necessary measures” against what it described as terrorist threats, stressing that Israel would act to protect both its citizens and forces on the ground.

In a separate statement, Adraee said Israeli troops would remain deployed in southern Lebanon during the ceasefire due to what he called ongoing Hezbollah activity. He warned civilians against returning to or moving through dozens of villages, including Bint Jbeil, Maroun al-Ras, Aitaroun and Khiam, and cautioned against approaching the Litani River and nearby valleys.

The developments come as Israeli media reports indicate a broader strategy on the ground. According to Haaretz, several Israeli commanders said the army is systematically demolishing homes, public buildings and schools in areas under its control as part of a policy to “clear the area,” which forms a buffer zone inside Lebanese territory.

Israel maintains that Hezbollah has used civilian infrastructure to store weapons and build tunnels, and says it is targeting militant infrastructure. However, the report said entire towns are being razed without clear distinction between Hezbollah-linked sites and civilian structures.

The demolitions are reportedly being carried out by private contractors, some of whom are paid based on the number of buildings destroyed. Commanders cited in the report said the army is applying tactics similar to those used in Gaza, with one saying the objective is to prevent residents from returning to border areas.

The Israeli military has said that during the ceasefire it will continue clearing areas under its control of Hezbollah infrastructure, operatives and other perceived threats.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it had detonated explosive devices targeting an Israeli convoy between Taybeh and Deir Siryan, claiming that four Merkava tanks were destroyed.