Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz on Monday, 1 June issued a joint statement confirming they had ordered the military to carry out strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs. The order follows what Israeli officials described as repeated Hezbollah violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon, including rocket and drone attacks targeting northern Israeli cities.

Why the Order Was Issued

According to the joint statement, the strikes were authorised in direct response to sustained ceasefire breaches by Hezbollah. Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 News reported that the move came after the United States approved Israel's requests to expand its military activity in Lebanon — shifting from an initial focus on the country's south to now include airstrikes on the capital city.

Prime Minister Netanyahu also separately confirmed he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to expand its ground incursion into Lebanon.

IDF Captures Beaufort Castle

Earlier on Sunday, the IDF announced it had captured Beaufort Castle after entering the Beaufort Ridge and Wadi al-Saluki areas in southern Lebanon. According to the IDF, the operation aims to establish operational control over those areas and degrade Hezbollah's military capabilities. The IDF said Hezbollah had directed combat activities from the Beaufort Ridge and launched numerous attacks from the site.

Israeli Casualties and Ongoing Rocket Fire

On Monday morning, an Israeli soldier from an elite commando unit was killed in southern Lebanon by an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah. Three other Israeli soldiers were wounded — one of them seriously — in the village of Yohmor. Throughout Monday morning, Hezbollah continued launching rockets and drones toward northern Israel; some were intercepted, while others fell in open areas without reported casualties. The IDF also said it destroyed the launcher used in a Hezbollah rocket attack on Tiberias, a city in northeastern Israel, on Sunday night.

Lebanon's Position on the Ceasefire

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said on Sunday that Hezbollah remains committed to a comprehensive and immediate ceasefire, and called for international efforts to compel Israel to halt its military operations. Berri argued that the conflict 'does not lie in the resistance's position on a ceasefire,' but rather in the continuation of Israeli operations, which he said have displaced thousands of Lebanese civilians and demolished villages and homes across multiple areas. He stressed that any de-escalation effort requires genuine guarantees that would obligate Israel to fully stop its attacks.

What Comes Next

With US backing reportedly secured for expanded operations and Israeli forces now targeting the Lebanese capital's southern outskirts, the conflict risks a significant escalation beyond its original geographic scope. International pressure for a durable ceasefire framework is expected to intensify as civilian displacement in Lebanon continues to mount.