Jerusalem, Israel (April 19, 2026)

Israel’s military said it carried out a major wave of operations against Hezbollah in the final day before a temporary ceasefire with Lebanon took effect, reporting that more than 150 fighters were killed and roughly 300 military targets were hit across southern Lebanon.

According to the Israeli account, the final round of strikes focused on rocket launch sites, command compounds, weapons depots and other positions that had been used in attacks on northern Israeli communities. Israeli officials also said one of those killed was Ali Rida Abbas, identified as Hezbollah’s commander in the Bint Jbeil sector, an area long viewed as a central stronghold for the group near the border.

At the same time, Israeli defense officials outlined a broader plan for maintaining a military security belt inside southern Lebanon even as the ceasefire remains in effect. The army has publicly identified a forward defense line, described by Israeli leaders as a buffer zone extending about 10 kilometers from the Israeli border. Officials said forces are positioned across key terrain, including the Beaufort Ridge, which they view as strategically important for surveillance and operational control.

Israeli leaders have said the purpose of the zone is to block future cross-border raids, anti-tank fire and renewed militant entrenchment near northern towns. The military has also designated dozens of Lebanese villages within that area as restricted zones, with officials warning that the campaign to remove Hezbollah infrastructure is continuing despite the pause in large-scale fighting.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel intends to keep using ground and air power against what it considers active threats, including suspected weapons routes, fortified structures and areas believed to endanger Israeli troops. He said the larger goal remains the dismantling of Hezbollah’s military presence south of the Litani River and the long-term protection of border communities.

WILD FOOTAGE

An Israeli drone flew through Hezbollah stronghold Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon, showing the scale of destruction following IDF operations. pic.twitter.com/eHTCJ8tS4M

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) April 19, 2026