Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel’s military operation in Lebanon “requires more time”, as Israeli forces intensified airstrikes across southern Lebanon and expanded ground operations deeper into Lebanese territory.
Israeli troops seized the historic Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon, a Crusader-era fortress overlooking the region, marking the deepest Israeli incursion into Lebanon in more than 25 years.
The Israeli military also announced the death of one soldier and injuries to four others during fighting in southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health reported that an Israeli airstrike on the town of Deir al-Zahrani in the Nabatieh district early Sunday killed eight people, including three women, and wounded 19 others, among them five children and six women.
For its part, Hezbollah announced that it launched rockets at a gathering of Israeli military vehicles and soldiers in the town of al-Bayyadah in southern Lebanon. The group also said it targeted an Israeli military assembly area at a helicopter landing site in the settlement of Shlomi using a drone.
European Calls for Restraint
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called on all parties to respect the ceasefire in Lebanon and engage in negotiations in good faith.
In a post on X, she said that Israeli military escalation in Lebanon has resulted in civilian deaths, displacement, destruction of infrastructure, and a narrowing of diplomatic opportunities, stressing that it “must come to an end”.
She also called on Hezbollah to halt its attacks on Israel and disarm.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed deep concern over Israel’s ground advance in southern Lebanon, warning that any further escalation would worsen an already fragile situation.
He urged all parties to immediately cease hostilities and return to compliance with the ceasefire agreement.
Arab Condemnation of Israeli Escalation
Several Arab states condemned Israel’s military escalation in Lebanon, describing it as a blatant violation of Lebanese sovereignty, a breach of international law, and a dangerous threat to regional stability.
In a statement, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon and the expansion of its ground incursion in the south, calling on the international community to compel the Israeli occupation authorities to halt their aggression.
Doha reaffirmed its support for Lebanon’s unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and efforts aimed at ensuring stability and prosperity.
Egypt also condemned what it described as Israel’s military escalation and the continuation of its “brutal aggression” against Lebanon.
In a statement issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cairo reiterated its complete rejection of any violation of Lebanese territory and renewed its support for Lebanon’s state institutions, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The statement described the actions as a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law, warning that they pose a serious threat to regional security and de-escalation efforts.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit likewise condemned the Israeli assault on Lebanon and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
He stated that Israeli forces had advanced into Lebanese territory, destroyed villages and historical sites in the south, targeted civilians, and forced displacement, all of which constitute violations of Lebanese sovereignty and international law.
Israeli Security Meeting to Discuss Expansion
Israeli Channel 12 reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding a security meeting to discuss expanding military operations in Lebanon.
According to the report, Defence Minister Israel Katz and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir are both pushing for a broader military campaign.
Channel 13 also reported that the Israeli military establishment is considering a significant increase in the pace of attacks in Lebanon, including strikes in Beirut.
Citing a security source, the channel said deliberations over the next phase are currently at the decision-making stage, with Netanyahu expected to make the final determination regarding the scale and timing of any escalation.
Nabih Berri: The Resistance Will Honour a Ceasefire
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri stated that he could guarantee the resistance’s full and immediate commitment to a ceasefire.
However, he questioned who would ensure Israel’s commitment to ending its attacks.
Death Toll Continues to Rise
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health announced on Sunday that the death toll from Israeli attacks since 2 March has risen to 3,412 people, with 10,269 others wounded.
According to the ministry, 41 people were killed and 140 injured in the previous 24 hours alone.
Since launching its expanded assault on Lebanon on 2 March, Israel’s military campaign has displaced more than one million people and caused widespread destruction to homes and infrastructure across the country.
In another strike, Lebanon’s health authorities confirmed that eight people were killed and 19 wounded in the Israeli attack on Deir al-Zahrani in southern Lebanon.
Injuries Reported in Northern Israel
Israeli Channel 12 reported that a drone explosion injured four people in the Beit Hillel area of northern Israel.
The channel also cited a source stating that Hezbollah had launched more than 20 rockets towards northern Israel since the morning.
Israeli Army Radio reported that a drone exploded at a military site in Beit Hillel and said the military is investigating the incident.
Israel’s Home Front Command also announced that air raid sirens sounded across towns in the Upper Galilee following the detection of incoming rockets.
United Nations Proposal on UNIFIL
Israel Hayom reported that the United Nations is expected to present an updated proposal in the coming days regarding the continuation of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission in southern Lebanon.
According to sources cited by the newspaper, the proposal includes alternative deployment mechanisms and a separation between armed and unarmed observers in an effort to address criticism directed at the peacekeeping force.
The proposal is expected to be presented to the UN Security Council in August.
Emergency Security Council Session
Diplomatic sources told Al Jazeera that the United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency session on Lebanon on Monday at France’s request.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that Paris had requested the emergency meeting after Israeli forces captured the strategic Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon.
Speaking to French broadcaster BFM TV, Barrot said that while France recognises Israel’s right, like any state, to defend itself against Hezbollah attacks, “nothing justifies the extension of Israeli military operations in Lebanon or its broader occupation of Lebanese territory.”
He described the move as a serious mistake, arguing that it violates not only Israel’s obligations under the ceasefire agreement that has been in place since 17 April, but also international law, Israel’s own interests, and its security.
Barrot added that every village bombed, every village occupied, and every civilian killed serves only to strengthen Hezbollah.
Netanyahu: The Operation Requires More Time
Netanyahu stated that Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon “requires more time” but pledged to restore security to residents of northern Israel “just as it was restored to residents of the south.”
He said his instructions to the military are to deepen the operation and tighten control over areas previously under Hezbollah influence.
Netanyahu described the seizure of Beaufort Castle as another stage in Israel’s broader strategy, which includes military activity across Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon, as well as the establishment of buffer zones.
He also claimed that Israeli forces killed 700 Hezbollah fighters during May alone and that the group’s losses since March have reached 8,000 fighters.
Intensified Israeli Airstrikes
Israel significantly intensified its air campaign across southern Lebanon while carrying out its deepest ground advance into the country in more than a quarter of a century.
According to Al Jazeera correspondents, Israeli airstrikes targeted the city of Tyre and the towns of al-Babliyah, Khirbet al-Dweir, Mifdoun, Kfar Reman, al-Zrariyeh, Ansar, Deir al-Zahrani, al-Marwaniyah, al-Ghandouriyah, Burj Qallawiyah, Kfartebnit, al-Qusaybah, as well as areas surrounding Nabatieh al-Fawqa and Sharqiyah.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that Israeli warplanes carried out multiple strikes before dawn on the Arab neighbourhood in Deir al-Zahrani, resulting in casualties and injuries.
Rescue teams recovered several bodies from the rubble, while additional victims remained trapped beneath collapsed buildings. The strikes reportedly targeted residential homes while residents were asleep.
Israeli Forces Capture Beaufort Castle
Israeli forces seized the historic Beaufort Castle, a Crusader fortress near the city of Nabatieh, in what represents Israel’s deepest advance into Lebanese territory in more than 25 years.
The operation followed days of intense fighting and airstrikes targeting nearby villages.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military captured the castle under Netanyahu’s directives, describing it as one of the most important strategic positions for protecting communities in the Galilee.
Katz said the seizure sends a clear message to Israel’s enemies that they will lose their strategic positions one after another.
He added that, 44 years after what he described as the heroic battle fought there, Israeli soldiers had once again reached the summit of Beaufort Castle and raised the Israeli flag over it.
Channel 12 quoted Katz as saying that Israeli forces will remain at the castle as part of what Israel calls its “security zone” in Lebanon.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also welcomed the move, describing the return to Beaufort Castle as a correction of “historic mistakes”. He acknowledged the high cost of the war but argued that it remains necessary for Israel’s security.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee later published photographs showing Israeli soldiers near the castle.
Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh stated that Israeli forces deliberately targeted the historical site before occupying it.
He added that Israel had destroyed historical markets, public libraries, and numerous archaeological sites in southern Lebanon, particularly in the city of Tyre.
During its occupation of southern Lebanon, which lasted nearly two decades until 2000, Israeli forces used Beaufort Castle as a military base.
Hezbollah Operations Continue
Hezbollah carried out 19 operations against Israeli targets on Sunday, according to a tally compiled by Anadolu Agency.
The attacks targeted Israeli troops and military vehicles in southern Lebanon, as well as military sites and settlements in northern Israel, amid ongoing Israeli escalation.
The group announced that it launched rockets at an Israeli military gathering in al-Bayyadah and used a drone to strike a military assembly point near a helicopter landing site in the settlement of Shlomi.
It also said it fired rockets at Israeli military infrastructure in Nahariya.
Israeli Army Radio reported that Hezbollah continues to expand the scope of its rocket attacks against Israel.
Earlier in the day, the Israeli military announced the death of one soldier and injuries to four others during clashes in southern Lebanon.
The Walla news website reported that the casualties belonged to the Givati Brigade and were struck by a Hezbollah drone attack.
Israel’s public broadcaster reported that the drone targeted a position near the town of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, north of the Litani River, on Saturday evening.
According to the broadcaster, the number of Israeli fatalities since the ceasefire came into effect has risen to 13, including eight soldiers and one civilian killed in Hezbollah drone attacks.
