The Israeli army is preparing to intensify its air campaign in southern Lebanon as ground troops face mounting losses during its ongoing invasion of southern Lebanon.
Israeli media reports on Thursday noted a potential shift in strategy that would involve increasing air strikes in Lebanon while reducing the current focus on Iran in an attempt to provide air cover to Israeli ground forces attempting to seize Lebanese territory.
Israeli daily Haaretz reported that "most offensive resources are directed towards Iran", leaving troops in Lebanon "exposed" to Hezbollah fire, increasing their operational risks.
The Ynet news site reported that Israeli forces were continuing their attempts to push deeper into southern Lebanon, even as the Lebanese group launches rockets and drones towards Israel and engages troops on the ground.
Israeli media reports this week indicate that four divisions have been deployed to southern Lebanon, with initially the 91st, 146th, and 210th Divisions operating, and then the 162nd Armoured Division joining in late March.
Rather than accelerating the advance, however, this expansion appears to reflect mounting pressure on Israeli forces to reinforce positions and sustain operations in the face of continued Hezbollah attacks .
According to Lebanese media, more than 100 Israeli tanks and vehicles have been targeted since the start of the latest confrontation, with multiple attacks reported in a single day at times. Meanwhile, Israeli media reports that at least 10 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Lebanon, and dozens more have been injured.
While Israel alleges its forces are making progress in their ground invasion, which was announced in mid-March and was reportedly aimed at establishing a "security buffer zone" up to the Litani River , dozens of rockets have continued to be fired from Lebanon onto Israel.
On Thursday, Israeli media reported that at least two people were injured after Hezbollah fired more than 50 rockets and suicide drones across the border, with at least one landing in Kiryat Shmona.
The group has also been using surface-to-air missiles, with reports on Thursday that an Israeli helicopter was forced to retreat over Ramiyeh, a border village in the centre, amid ongoing fighting in the Taybeh and Qaouzah areas.
Sirens also sounded in Tel Aviv following a rocket barrage from southern Lebanon, while Israel's fire service reported a blaze in an open area in Nahariya after an attempted interception of a drone. Israel's scorched-earth policy Meanwhile, Israeli strikes have continued across southern Lebanon, with air raids hitting several towns including Qaqaiyat al-Jisr, Rashaya al-Fakhar, Haris, Bint Jbeil, Kounine and Tayri, alongside heavy artillery shelling targeting surrounding areas.
Israeli forces also carried out demolition operations in border areas, including blowing up homes on the outskirts of the town of Dibel, while additional air strikes targeted the town of Zrariyeh.
An Israeli air strike at dawn on a residential building in Kfar Sir killed three people, according to Lebanon's National News Agency, while further strikes hit Harouf and Zibdine, destroying at least one home.
Any advances made by Israeli forces inside Lebanon have only been possible under heavy air cover and the flattening villages through scorched-earth bombardment.
Even with that level of destruction, their advance has repeatedly been met with ambushes and anti-tank fire that have slowed them down and prevented them from holding ground.
Separately, dozens of families of Israeli soldiers from the Nahal Brigade's commando unit sent a letter on Tuesday to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , calling for a reassessment of their sons' deployment in southern Lebanon.
The families said that current conditions expose soldiers to "unreasonable and entirely unjustified" risks, citing a lack of sufficient operational capabilities, including limited air support due to the focus on Iran.
"It can be assumed that this is one of the central reasons for the high number of casualties," the letter said.
During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Netanyahu reportedly called for a more aggressive approach in Lebanon, including the demolition of homes in southern areas.
According to Israel's Channel 14, Netanyahu instructed the military to avoid sending troops into buildings where possible and instead rely on heavy engineering equipment and munitions, to minimise losses.
His remarks echoed statements by Defence Minister Israel Katz , who has threatened to destroy homes in villages near the border in southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah continues to carry out sustained attacks despite ongoing Israeli air strikes. Israeli military analyst Amos Harel wrote in Haaretz that the group has reorganised and restored parts of its capabilities following the 2024 war.
Hezbollah is now launching around 200 rockets and drones daily towards northern Israel and Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, according to the report, while continuing to engage Israeli troops in areas where four divisions are deployed between the border and the Litani River.
Israeli forces have advanced into a second line of villages located eight to 10 kilometres north of the border, though Hezbollah remains active in some areas, with ongoing clashes and military infrastructure still intact.