{"id":1127,"date":"2026-05-25T20:40:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T20:40:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/2026\/05\/25\/israel-pounds-lebanon-with-fresh-air-strikes-vows-to-crush-hezbollah\/"},"modified":"2026-05-25T20:40:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T20:40:26","slug":"israel-pounds-lebanon-with-fresh-air-strikes-vows-to-crush-hezbollah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=1127","title":{"rendered":"Israel pounds Lebanon with fresh air strikes, vows to &#8216;crush&#8217; Hezbollah"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-tms-ad-status=\"idle\" data-tms-ad-container class=\"o-ad-container o-ad-container--banner-top o-ad-container--with-shimmer o-ad-container--with-background\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__content o-ad-container__content--report-enabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__label m-block-ad__label--report-enabled\">\n                    <span class=\"o-ad-container__label__text\">Advertising<\/span><br \/>\n                                            <button title=\"Report this ad\" class=\"o-ad-container__content__report-link\" data-tms-ad-report><br \/>\n                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-ad-sponsoring\" data-tms-ad-type=\"sponsoring\" data-tms-ad-status=\"disabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-sponsoring__wrapper\">\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content t-content--article\" id=\"main-content\">\n<div class=\"t-content__above-sidebar\">\n<h1 class=\"t-content__title a-page-title\">Israel pounds Lebanon with fresh air strikes, vows to &#8216;crush&#8217; Hezbollah<\/h1>\n<div class=\"m-master-tag\">\n<div class=\"a-tag-section\">\n                                    Middle East\n                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"t-content__chapo\">\n                                        Israel intensified air strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to \u201ccrush\u201d Hezbollah, deepening fears of a wider regional conflict. The escalation comes despite an April ceasefire and as another round of US-Iran talks takes place in Doha in a bid to negotiate terms for a broader Middle East peace deal.                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__with-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"t-content__beside-sidebar\" data-article-content>\n<div class=\"t-content__metadata\">\n<div class=\"t-content__dates\">\n<p class=\"m-pub-dates\"><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Issued on: <time datetime=\"2026-05-25T18:49:12+00:00\">25\/05\/2026 &#8211; 20:49<\/time><\/span><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Modified: <time datetime=\"2026-05-25T20:17:55+00:00\">25\/05\/2026 &#8211; 22:17<\/time><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"a-reading-time\">\n    <span class=\"a-reading-time__icon\" title=\"Reading time\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><br \/>\n    3 min    <span class=\"u-sr-only\">Reading time<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a-share-button\" data-root-share>\n<p>                            <span class=\"a-master-button__label\">Share<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__authors\">\n<div class=\"m-from-author\">\n                    <span class=\"m-from-author__by-label\"><br \/>\n                By:<br \/>\n            <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-author\">\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/author\/france-24\/\" title=\"FRANCE 24\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n                                FRANCE 24<br \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__main-media\">\n<figure class=\"m-item-image m-item-image--16x9 m-item-image--has-caption\">\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/6b5ca064-586a-11f1-a885-005056a90284\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/4d4e6f27bc457d3cb17da7705c316d2bebd66e9d.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/6b5ca064-586a-11f1-a885-005056a90284\/w:388\/p:16x9\/4d4e6f27bc457d3cb17da7705c316d2bebd66e9d.jpg 388w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/6b5ca064-586a-11f1-a885-005056a90284\/w:720\/p:16x9\/4d4e6f27bc457d3cb17da7705c316d2bebd66e9d.jpg 720w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/6b5ca064-586a-11f1-a885-005056a90284\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/4d4e6f27bc457d3cb17da7705c316d2bebd66e9d.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1076px) 100vw, 1012px\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt=\"The Israeli army intensified strikes in southern Lebanon on Monday, as two far-right Israeli ministers called for escalation including attacks on Lebanese capital Beirut\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n                <span>The Israeli army intensified strikes in southern Lebanon on Monday, as two far-right Israeli ministers called for escalation including attacks on Lebanese capital Beirut.<\/span>                <span>\u00a9 Abbas Fakih, AFP<\/span>            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__body u-clearfix\">\n<p>The Israeli army intensified strikes in southern <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/lebanon\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Lebanon<\/a> on Monday, as Israeli Prime Minister <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/benjamin-netanyahu\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> said he had ordered the military to escalate its offensive in Lebanon in an effort to &#8220;crush&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/hezbollah\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Hezbollah<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The airstrikes come as the United States and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/iran\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Iran<\/a> seek to finalise the terms of an agreement to end the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/middle-east\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Middle East<\/a> conflict, which could include the Lebanon front, where <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/israel\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Israel<\/a> and Hezbollah have waged war since March 2.<\/p>\n<p>Despite a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/ceasefire\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">ceasefire<\/a> that came into effect on April 17, Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have continued to exchange fire on a near-daily basis.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I have ordered an even greater acceleration of our operations,&#8221; Netanyahu said in a video statement posted on his Telegram channel.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is true that they are attacking us with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/drones\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">drones<\/a>, including fibre-optic drones, but we have teams working on countermeasures and we will solve this issue &#8230; We will intensify our blows, increase our firepower, and we will crush them.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"a-read-more\"><span class=\"a-read-more__label\">Watch more<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/fresh-strikes-test-fragile-israel-hezbollah-truce\" target=\"_self\" class=\"a-read-more__link\">Fresh strikes test fragile Israel-Hezbollah truce<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Following the call for escalation, an AFP correspondent saw residents fleeing the southern suburbs of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/beirut\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Beirut<\/a>, a Hezbollah stronghold.<\/p>\n<p>The Israeli air force carried out successive strikes in the Bekaa valley in eastern Lebanon on Monday evening, according to Lebanon&#8217;s National News Agency (NNA).<\/p>\n<p>Dozens of Israeli strikes earlier targeted several towns and villages in southern Lebanon in the early hours, killing three people in two cars and on a motorcycle, NNA reported.<\/p>\n<p>Israeli airstrikes then targeted several towns near the ancient city of Tyre, according to the state-run agency.<\/p>\n<p>Those strikes came after Israel issued evacuation orders for 10 villages, accusing Hezbollah of breaching the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/truce\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">truce<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In light of Hezbollah&#8217;s violation of the ceasefire agreement, the Israel Defense Forces are compelled to operate against it with force,&#8221; the military&#8217;s Arabic-language spokesman Colonel Avichay Adraee said in a social media post, listing the names of the villages.<\/p>\n<p>Hezbollah, a Lebanese Iran-backed movement, has regularly launched drone attacks against Israeli forces inside Lebanese territory and across the border, including several on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>Later on Monday, Adraee issued another evacuation warning directed at residents of a building in Rashidieh and two buildings in Burj al-Shamali, near the city of Tyre.<\/p>\n<p>According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli strikes since early March have killed more than 3,100 people.<\/p>\n<p>The Israeli military also announced on Monday that a soldier had been killed the previous day in southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n<p>That brings the number of Israeli soldiers killed since the outbreak of hostilities with Hezbollah to 23. One civilian contractor has also been killed.<\/p>\n<h2>&#8216;Buildings must fall&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p>Two far-right ministers called for an expansion of Israel&#8217;s military campaign in Lebanon.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There is an urgent need to put an end to the threat posed by Hezbollah&#8217;s explosive drones,&#8221; Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in an occupied <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/west-bank\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">West Bank<\/a> settlement, said on Telegram.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;For every explosive drone strike, 10 buildings must fall in Beirut.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, another figurehead of the Israeli far-right, called for a &#8220;return to intensive warfare&#8221; and for &#8220;taking control&#8221; of the Zahrani River, located further north than the Litani River.<\/p>\n<p>The Israeli army, which controls a strip of land approximately 10 kilometres (six miles) deep in Lebanese territory, has designated the Litani River as the boundary of the area to be cleared of Hezbollah fighters.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, Lebanese President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/joseph-aoun\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Joseph Aoun<\/a> defended his decision to hold talks with Israel, adding that his demand for a complete Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon was &#8220;non-negotiable&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Lebanon and Israel, which do not have diplomatic relations, are holding another round of negotiations in Washington on June 2 and 3, preceded by a meeting of military officials from both countries at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/pentagon\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Pentagon<\/a> on May 29.<\/p>\n<p>Hezbollah leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/naim-qassem\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Naim Qassem<\/a> reiterated his opposition to direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel on Sunday evening and repeated his refusal to have his movement to disarm.<\/p>\n<p>US Secretary of State <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/marco-rubio\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Marco Rubio<\/a> condemned his remarks, accusing him of calling for the &#8220;overthrow&#8221; of the Lebanese government and of wanting to &#8220;plunge Lebanon back into chaos&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>In response to Rubio, Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar called on the US administration on Monday to stop &#8220;interfering in Lebanese affairs and destabilising the country&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><em>(FRANCE 24 with AFP)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"o-sidebar__aside\">\n<div data-tms-ad-status=\"idle\" data-tms-ad-container class=\"o-ad-container o-ad-container--box o-ad-container--with-shimmer\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__content o-ad-container__content--report-enabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__label m-block-ad__label--report-enabled\">\n                    <span class=\"o-ad-container__label__text\">Advertising<\/span><br \/>\n                                            <button title=\"Report this ad\" class=\"o-ad-container__content__report-link\" data-tms-ad-report><br \/>\n                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__tags t-content__below-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"m-section-title m-section-title--small\">Keywords for this article<\/div>\n<ul class=\"m-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/lebanon\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Lebanon\">    Lebanon<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/israel\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Israel\">    Israel<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/benjamin-netanyahu\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Benjamin Netanyahu\">    Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/hezbollah\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Hezbollah\">    Hezbollah<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/usa\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"USA\">    USA<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/joseph-aoun\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Joseph Aoun\">    Joseph Aoun<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/marco-rubio\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Marco Rubio\">    Marco Rubio<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Advertising Israel pounds Lebanon with fresh air strikes, vows to &#8216;crush&#8217; Hezbollah Middle East Israel&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1128,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1127"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1127\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}