Israeli military says more than 30 Hezbollah fighters were killed in recent days during operations in southern Lebanon

CAIRO - 26 March 2026: The Israeli military said its troops have killed more than 30 Hezbollah fighters in recent days during ongoing operations in southern Lebanon, as Israel continues to widen its ground activity and airstrikes along the border in a conflict that has escalated sharply in parallel with the wider regional war.

In a statement carried by Israeli media, the military said the killings took place across multiple engagements involving ground units and supporting fire, describing the operations as aimed at pushing Hezbollah away from the border area and limiting the group’s ability to launch attacks.

The claim could not be independently verified. Hezbollah has often issued its own battlefield statements during spikes in fighting, while Lebanon’s authorities and health officials typically report broader casualty totals without confirming armed-group losses in the way militaries do.

A widening “security zone” campaign

The new claim comes as Israel’s leadership and military have spoken more openly about building a deeper security belt inside southern Lebanon, with the Litani River frequently mentioned as a key geographic line in Israeli planning.

Reuters has reported that Israel has outlined intentions to control a swathe of territory in southern Lebanon as a security zone, a move that has raised concerns inside Lebanon about the risk of prolonged operations and a heavier civilian toll.

The same broader escalation has been accompanied by repeated Israeli airstrikes and cross-border fire, while Hezbollah has continued to fire rockets and other projectiles toward northern Israel. Analysts say the dynamic increases the risk of miscalculation and makes it harder to contain the conflict once ground operations expand.