Lebanese media reported Saturday evening that the IDF carried out unusual airstrikes in two villages approximately 100 miles from the Israeli border. Additionally, strikes were reported in the Bekaa Valley, around 50 miles from the border.
According to Lebanon's Health Ministry, four people were injured in one of the strikes deep inside Lebanon, including three children.
The Saudi news outlet Al Hadath reported that the remote targets were hit as part of a wave of strikes on 11 locations within an hour. The IDF confirmed the attacks, saying they targeted Hezbollah weapons depots in both the Bekaa region and the Baalbek district, as well as seven other sites in southern Lebanon.
Lebanese reports indicated that the wave of strikes began in the village of Sarafand, where a motorcycle was hit, injuring one person. The village is located between the cities of Tyre and Sidon. Strikes were also reported in the southern Lebanese villages of Khiam, Shaheen and Taybeh .
Later, Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese outlet Al Mayadeen reported that Israeli warplanes targeted the village of Khush al-Sayyad Ali in the Baalbek district, about 100 miles from the Israeli border.
Another strike, according to Al Mayadeen, hit the nearby village of Al-Qawah, where four people were injured, including three children, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Additional strikes were reported in the village of Sar'een in the Bekaa Valley, about 50 miles from the border.
The wave of airstrikes followed a barrage of 55 rockets fired at northern Israeli communities earlier in the day, triggering alarms as far south as the Sea of Galilee. Two drones exploded north of Kiryat Shmona in the evening, but no casualties were reported.
A Cabinet meeting scheduled for Sunday to discuss the northern front was postponed to Monday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to propose adding the safe return of northern residents to their homes as an official war goal. While symbolic, the decision reflects a shift in focus toward the north as the Gaza campaign nears completion.
Israel’s defense establishment is pushing to prioritize the northern front, though there are concerns about the impact on efforts to secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem warned that an Israeli offensive would not bring displaced residents back to their homes, but would instead escalate the conflict. "We have no plans to start a war, but any expansion of Israeli aggression will be met with a broader response," Qassem said. "If they [Israel] think war will return the settlers, they should prepare to receive hundreds of thousands more."
Amid the rising tensions, Amit Sofer, head of the Merom HaGalil Regional Council, which has been under frequent Hezbollah rocket fire, expressed cautious support for Netanyahu’s proposed strategy. "After nearly a year of fighting in the north, it's the first time we hear the prime minister proposing to intensify strikes in Lebanon," Sofer said.
"We support any strategy that brings security to the north, returns the residents, and pushes Hezbollah away from the border. Only crushing the enemy will bring lasting peace. Now we want to see action, not just words."