Israel Declares Southern Lebanon Areas ‘Combat Zones’ Ahead of Further Hezbollah Strikes

Israel has declared all areas south of Lebanon’s Zahrani River to be “combat zones” and urged residents to evacuate, in a sign of further anticipated strikes against Hezbollah.

The Zahrani River is approximately 40 kilometers from the border. The declaration follows intensified Israeli military operations in southern and eastern Lebanon.

The escalation comes as the Pentagon is set to host the fourth round of U.S.-brokered security negotiations between Israel and Lebanon today, May 28. The talks are taking place against the backdrop of widening military activity and heightened concern for civilians in the affected areas.

The combination of expanded Israeli warnings, intensified operations and continuing U.S.-brokered diplomacy underscores the fragile security situation along the Israel-Lebanon frontier.