Israeli airstrikes and ground operations intensified across southern Lebanon on Thursday, with heavy bombardment, clashes with Hezbollah fighters, and expanded military activity reported in multiple areas.

Amid the escalation, Al Jadeed reported that the Lebanese army withdrew its checkpoint at the Qasmiyeh bridge over the Litani River and closed surrounding roads. The bridge was later struck in an Israeli air raid.

Air and artillery strikes hit a wide range of targets throughout the south. Israeli warplanes struck a motorcycle on the Nabatiyeh highway near the Kfarwa junction, shelled areas between Ain Baal and the Hay al-Nabaa neighborhood, causing casualties, and targeted orchards in Qasmiyeh. Additional strikes hit areas between Kafra and Haris in the Bint Jbeil district, as well as Wadi Shbeil in Qatrani in the Jezzine area.

Earlier in the day, Israeli jets carried out strikes on Jabal al-Rafi in the Iqlim al-Tuffah highlands and on the coastal town of Sarafand. At dawn, an airstrike on the town of Tebnine caused heavy damage to a hospital, while another strike targeted an office belonging to a Palestinian organization in the Burj al-Shemali camp.

Overnight, Israeli strikes hit a house in the Hay al-Salam neighborhood of Nabatiyeh and targeted the towns of Khiyam and Debbine, accompanied by artillery shelling. The Israeli army also demolished a secondary school building in the border town of Marwahin.

Fighting on the ground intensified in the city of Bint Jbeil, where clashes resumed between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces, particularly along the stadium axis. Israeli warplanes and helicopters took part in the fighting, while intermittent clashes were reported at the city’s entrances and near the vocational school axis. Israeli forces also blew up homes at the entrance to the main market.

In a separate development in the same area, the Israeli military said troops operating in Bint Jbeil uncovered more than 130 weapons hidden inside a school. According to the army, the Givati Brigade carried out the discovery as part of ongoing ground operations targeting what it described as Hezbollah infrastructure. The weapons reportedly included Kalashnikov rifles, pistols, and other firearms, and soldiers also found Hezbollah flags and insignia at the site.

Lebanese army patrols were dispatched toward Marjayoun square following reports of an Israeli force presence, but it was later confirmed that no such forces were in the area.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it had expanded its ground campaign. In a statement posted on X, army spokesman Avichay Adraee said troops from Brigade 769, operating under the 91st Division, were continuing “intensive ground operations” in southern Lebanon. He said Israeli forces had thwarted two attempted attacks by Hezbollah cells and killed the fighters involved.

Adraee added that troops seized a cache of weapons including Kalashnikov rifles, anti-tank missiles, RPG launchers, and an underground stockpile containing mortar shells.

In a separate statement, he said commando units under the 98th Division were deepening operations against what he described as Hezbollah infrastructure. During a raid in the Ainata area near Bint Jbeil, Egoz unit forces uncovered dozens of weapons allegedly used by Hezbollah, including RPGs, assault rifles, ammunition, improvised explosive devices, an anti-aircraft missile, surveillance equipment, and other military gear.

Maglan unit forces also killed what the military described as “numerous” Hezbollah operatives in the same area. After completing search operations, Israeli forces said they destroyed around 70 targets within a single minute. The military later confirmed that approximately 70 Hezbollah sites had been razed in the Bint Jbeil area following the raid on what it described as a fortified “combat compound.”

The Israeli military also said a naval missile boat intercepted a drone launched from Lebanon toward Israel overnight. It added that since the start of the war with Iran on February 28, navy missile boats have been involved in around 40 air defense incidents, detecting and intercepting unmanned aerial vehicles targeting Israeli territory.

Separately, Hezbollah fired a missile toward the Haifa Bay area overnight. According to the Israeli military, no warning sirens were activated and the missile struck an open area, causing no reported casualties.

The military also released footage showing a drone strike on a group of Hezbollah operatives after troops detected two attempted attacks and coordinated with the Israeli Air Force to target the fighters.

As fighting continued, the Israeli army reiterated evacuation warnings for southern Lebanon.

“Hezbollah’s terror activities are forcing the Israeli army to act strongly against it. Strikes are ongoing… therefore, for your safety, we again urge you to evacuate your homes immediately and move at once to north of the Zahrani River,” Adraee said.