Lina Altawell
23 July 2026•Update: 23 July 2026
The Israeli army injured a Syrian worker and destroyed homes and facilities in southern Lebanon on Thursday, despite the Lebanese army’s deployment in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh entering its third day under the first phase of the US-brokered framework formula agreement.
Israeli forces continued military operations around the town of Ibl al-Saqi, carrying out intensive overnight sweeps with machine guns, amid successive explosions and movements of military vehicles around the spring area, Lebanon’s official National News Agency said (NNA).
By dawn, the operations had destroyed two chalets, a stone-cutting facility, and a house near the spring, the agency said.
Israeli forces opened fire on Syrian worker Munzer al-Balloul in the Naba Ibl area, injuring him, it added.
Lebanese Red Cross teams transferred him to Marjayoun Governmental Hospital for treatment.
The developments came amid continued Israeli violations as the first phase of the framework formula begins in several towns in southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese army said Tuesday that its units had deployed in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh as part of the first phase of the agreement, while stressing that its forces had not entered the neighboring town of Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh.
Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh is one of the “pilot areas” included in the first phase of the agreement signed on June 26, which provides for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from areas in southern Lebanon in exchange for the Lebanese army’s deployment there.
Since March 2, 2026, Israel’s offensive on Lebanon has killed 4,328 people and injured 12,232 others, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, while Israel continues to occupy areas in the south despite the agreement.
Israel occupies areas in southern Lebanon, some for decades and others since the 2023-2024 confrontations, and advanced more than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) into Lebanese territory during the current offensive.