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Asharq Al-Awsat Details Israeli Commando Raid in Lebanon’s Nabi Sheet

A huge crater left by an Israeli airstrike in the village of Nabi Sheet, eastern Lebanon late Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Salem)
A huge crater left by an Israeli airstrike in the village of Nabi Sheet, eastern Lebanon late Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Salem)
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Asharq Al-Awsat Details Israeli Commando Raid in Lebanon’s Nabi Sheet

A huge crater left by an Israeli airstrike in the village of Nabi Sheet, eastern Lebanon late Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Salem)
A huge crater left by an Israeli airstrike in the village of Nabi Sheet, eastern Lebanon late Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Salem)

The town of Nabi Sheet in Lebanon’s northern Bekaa is in shock after an Israeli military operation that left dozens of residents and people from nearby villages dead and wounded.

The operation involved an Israeli commando raid backed by more than 40 air strikes carried out by fighter jets, attack helicopters and drones, causing widespread destruction across the town and its surroundings.

Attempt to recover Arad’s remains

The Israeli force, made up of about 50 paratroopers, entered the town from three directions, residents said: The Qouz axis toward Serghaya, the Khraibeh axis, and the main western road linking the town entrance to Nabi Sheet square.

Hamm mayor Mohammad Hassan said the infiltration had been preceded by movement through the Eastern Mountain Range from two axes — Abu Fares field and the Shaara area — suggesting multiple routes of advance during the operation.

Residents told Asharq Al-Awsat the force appeared to be attempting to recover the remains of Israeli pilot Ron Arad, missing since 1986 and believed to be buried in the Shokr family cemetery near the mountain road linking Nabi Sheet to the towns of Khraibeh, Janta and Shaara near Serghaya on the Lebanese-Syrian border.

Helicopter landing

During the operation, Israeli troops deployed observation and security positions inside the town, particularly in the Shokr neighborhood near the cemetery entrance and close to the Shokr mosque and husseiniya. Other troops spread along the town’s main street in anticipation of possible clashes.

Information obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat said the force landed by three helicopters in the Qouz area before moving into the town through the surrounding highlands.

Residents also said ambulances and vehicles carrying Lebanese license plates were used, along with personnel wearing the uniforms of Hezbollah’s Islamic Health Authority and Lebanese Army military attire — raising questions about how the force reached the town.

Operation exposed

The operation was uncovered when members of the force opened fire with silenced rifles on a Hezbollah member passing through the area, killing him instantly.

The shooting alerted residents and Hezbollah members, who moved quickly to surround the Israeli force and engage it.

Before being exposed, the force had dug a narrow pit at the cemetery measuring about one-meter-long, 50 centimeters deep and 40 centimeters wide. Heavy gunfire across the town forced the force to withdraw before reaching its objective.

Hamda Assad al-Halbawi woke to the sound of digging near the cemetery. When she stepped outside to see what was happening, commando members fired at her from the direction of the graveyard, hitting her in the head. When her son tried to rescue her, a drone struck their car, killing them both.

Air strikes and ambushes

After the force was exposed, Israeli aircraft launched intense strikes on roads leading to the town to prevent reinforcements from nearby villages.

The strikes targeted the Nabi Sheet–Nasiriyah road, the Nabi Sheet–Sarein secondary road, the plain road, the Nabi Sheet–Khodr road and the Aqabeh–Baalbek road. The mountain road and the main road were left open to facilitate the force’s withdrawal.

Missiles fired during the strikes created a massive crater estimated to be about 10 meters deep and roughly 80 meters wide. The bombardment caused extensive destruction, with cars hurled onto building rooftops, particularly in Nabi Sheet square.

As the force withdrew, it came under ambush along the Khraibeh–Janta–Shaara road, where the fiercest clashes took place.

Heavy toll

The clashes and withdrawal left many dead, including about 35 people from Nabi Sheet, nine from Khraibeh, one from Sarein and another from Ali al-Nahri. Three Lebanese Army soldiers and one member of General Security were also killed.

Residents said Israeli forces used 16 mm rifles fitted with silencers.

Questions remain

Residents remain stunned by the scale of the operation and the destruction it caused, while questioning how the force managed to infiltrate an area they say is under constant surveillance.

They say the Israeli force ultimately failed to achieve its objective and withdrew under heavy fire and pressure from the clashes.

That account does not contradict Israel’s version of events. Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said no evidence linked Arad was found at the search site.

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Arab World

Israel Ignores Lebanon’s Ceasefire Request as US Imposes New Sanctions

Children inside a tent at a camp for displaced people set up along Beirut’s seafront (Reuters) 
Children inside a tent at a camp for displaced people set up along Beirut’s seafront (Reuters) 
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Israel Ignores Lebanon’s Ceasefire Request as US Imposes New Sanctions

Children inside a tent at a camp for displaced people set up along Beirut’s seafront (Reuters) 
Children inside a tent at a camp for displaced people set up along Beirut’s seafront (Reuters) 

Washington moved ahead of the Lebanese-Israeli security negotiations scheduled for May 29 by imposing sanctions on two officers from the Lebanese Army and General Security, marking the first time US measures have targeted Lebanese security officials alongside figures affiliated with or accused of cooperating with Hezbollah.

The sanctions, announced Thursday, targeted nine individuals, including Mohammad Fneish, head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council; Iranian Ambassador to Beirut Mohammad Reza Sheibani; and three Hezbollah lawmakers: Hassan Fadlallah, Ibrahim al-Moussawi, and Hussein Hajj Hassan. Also sanctioned were Ahmad Baalbaki and Ali Safawi, both considered close to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

In a notable development, the measures also targeted Colonel Samer Hamadeh, head of Army Intelligence in Beirut’s southern suburbs, and Brigadier General Khattar Nassereddine, head of the Analysis Department at General Security.

Meanwhile, Lebanese ministerial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Beirut is awaiting an Israeli response, through the United States, to its request that Washington pressure Israel to comply with the ceasefire agreement. According to the sources, Tel Aviv has neither responded nor adhered to the terms of the deal. “Lebanon is still waiting for a response that the United States will convey from Israel,” the sources said.

Last week, Lebanon held its first direct negotiation session with Israel in Washington, while the ceasefire agreement was extended for an additional six weeks. The extension, however, appears limited to Beirut and its southern suburbs, excluding southern Lebanon, where exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and the Israeli military continue.

A Lebanese military delegation is due to participate on May 29 in security talks with Israeli army representatives at the US Department of Defense headquarters.

The Lebanese sources said Beirut had finalized the composition of its military delegation, which will consist of four officers, though the Army Command has yet to issue the official order naming them.

Responding to media speculation over the delegation’s makeup, the Lebanese Army Command said in a statement that discussion of the “sectarian distribution” of the officers “has no connection whatsoever to the principles of the military institution.”

The command stressed that the delegation, regardless of its composition, “remains committed to national constants,” adding that the officers assigned to the mission represent the nation and remain bound by the army’s doctrine and national duty.

Since the truce was announced on April 17 - and its 45-day extension took effect Monday - Israel has continued carrying out strikes it says target Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure, while also conducting demolition operations in border areas occupied by its forces.

The Israeli military has also continued issuing near-daily evacuation warnings for villages and towns, with the affected areas often extending far beyond the border region and including communities hosting displaced residents from elsewhere in the country.

French Warning

French President Emmanuel Macron’s special envoy to Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, warned Thursday that Lebanon is “in a dangerous situation.”

In an interview with BFM TV and RMC Radio, Le Drian said Lebanon faces “a dangerous situation regarding its unity and territorial integrity,” citing divisions among Lebanese factions over Hezbollah and Israel.

“Lebanon’s territorial integrity is under threat,” he stated, adding that Israel occupies part of Lebanese territory while Hezbollah operates in another “in service of Iranian interests — the interests of a foreign power.”

Despite that, Le Drian welcomed the continuation of the truce, saying it opens “a 45-day horizon for continuing discussions.”

He also praised Lebanese leaders engaged in the process as “high-level” and “courageous,” referring to their request for direct negotiations with Israel aimed at freeing Lebanon “from this stranglehold” and restoring the Lebanese state’s ability “to function and exist.”

Le Drian further described US involvement in the negotiations as “a positive thing,” even though, he noted, Israel has rejected French participation in the talks despite Lebanon’s request for it.

Arab World

Australian Women Linked to ISIS Leave Syrian Camp

Members of Australian families believed to be linked to the ISIS militants wait to leave Roj camp near Derik, Syria April 24, 2026. REUTERS/Orhan Qereman/File Photo
Members of Australian families believed to be linked to the ISIS militants wait to leave Roj camp near Derik, Syria April 24, 2026. REUTERS/Orhan Qereman/File Photo
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Australian Women Linked to ISIS Leave Syrian Camp

Members of Australian families believed to be linked to the ISIS militants wait to leave Roj camp near Derik, Syria April 24, 2026. REUTERS/Orhan Qereman/File Photo
Members of Australian families believed to be linked to the ISIS militants wait to leave Roj camp near Derik, Syria April 24, 2026. REUTERS/Orhan Qereman/File Photo

A second group of Australian women and children linked to the ISIS extremist group have departed a refugee camp in northeast Syria and may be returning to Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Friday.

The broadcaster said a bus carrying the group left the Al-Roj camp on Thursday afternoon under escort by a convoy of Syrian government officials. The group is expected to reach Damascus, though it remains unclear when they might travel ‌to Australia, the report ‌said.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said ‌Australia's ⁠security and intelligence agencies ⁠had been preparing for the return of women linked to ISIS for more than a decade, reported Reuters.

"This is not a coherent group, there is a spectrum in terms of the actions of the individuals while they have been away from Australia," Burke said by email.

He did not ⁠provide details about the group's travel ‌to Australia.

The Australian government has previously ‌ruled out providing direct assistance for the return of Australian ‌families linked to ISIS but has acknowledged "very serious limits" ‌to preventing citizens from re-entering the country. Earlier this month, four women and nine children linked to ISIS returned to Australia after spending seven years in detention camps. Upon arrival, Kawsar Ahmad, 54, ‌and her daughter Zeinab Ahmad, 31, were charged with slavery offences, while 32-year-old Janai Safar ⁠faced terror-related ⁠charges.

The return of the women drew criticism, with opponents accusing Australia's center-left government of failing to prevent their repatriation.

Between 2012 and 2016, some Australian women travelled to Syria to join their husbands who were allegedly members of ISIS. Following the collapse of the “caliphate” in 2019, many were detained in camps, while others returned home. In January, the United States began moving detained ISIS members out of Syria after the collapse of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which had been guarding several detention facilities housing ISIS fighters and affiliated civilians, including foreigners.

Arab World

Lebanese Accuse Israel of Wiping their Towns Off the Map

(COMBO) This combination of handout satellite images taken by Planet Labs PBC shows views of the village of Yarun in southern Lebanon close to the border with Israel on (top L to R followed by bottom L to R) October 5, 2024; January 10, 2025; January 30, 2025; and on May 2, 2026. (Photo by 2026 Planet Labs PBC / AFP)
(COMBO) This combination of handout satellite images taken by Planet Labs PBC shows views of the village of Yarun in southern Lebanon close to the border with Israel on (top L to R followed by bottom L to R) October 5, 2024; January 10, 2025; January 30, 2025; and on May 2, 2026. (Photo by 2026 Planet Labs PBC / AFP)
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Lebanese Accuse Israel of Wiping their Towns Off the Map

(COMBO) This combination of handout satellite images taken by Planet Labs PBC shows views of the village of Yarun in southern Lebanon close to the border with Israel on (top L to R followed by bottom L to R) October 5, 2024; January 10, 2025; January 30, 2025; and on May 2, 2026. (Photo by 2026 Planet Labs PBC / AFP)
(COMBO) This combination of handout satellite images taken by Planet Labs PBC shows views of the village of Yarun in southern Lebanon close to the border with Israel on (top L to R followed by bottom L to R) October 5, 2024; January 10, 2025; January 30, 2025; and on May 2, 2026. (Photo by 2026 Planet Labs PBC / AFP)

Lebanese mother-of-two Hala Farah is collecting photos and videos to preserve the memory of her hometown which, like many others along the southern border, has been completely destroyed by Israeli forces.

Testimony from residents and officials, as well as satellite images and photographs taken by AFP journalists on both sides of the border, show widespread destruction in dozens of Lebanese towns and villages since the start of the Israel-Hezbollah war on March 2.

Responding to Hezbollah's attacks, Israel carried out massive airstrikes and launched a ground invasion in the south, which borders Israel and where the Iran-backed movement holds sway.

While a ceasefire began on April 17, the destruction, demolitions and bulldozing in southern areas have only intensified, affecting homes, infrastructure, schools, places of worship and farmland.

Israel's army, which sometimes issued evacuation warnings ahead of strikes, has repeatedly said its attacks target Hezbollah sites and operatives -- not civilians.

But Farah, 33, said everything in her hometown Yarun, less than a kilometer (mile) from Israel, has been destroyed.

"All that's left are memories and some pictures that we and the neighbors are trying to collect... so that we can tell our children what Yarun was like," she told AFP.

"I had hoped my daughters would grow up in the family home," she said, wearing a pin showing her village.

Yarun has found itself on the front line before: satellite images seen by AFP show it had been mostly destroyed by early 2025 following the previous Israel-Hezbollah war, with its Saint George church left with only three walls standing.

Other medium-resolution images, taken earlier this month and reviewed by AFP, show that what had previously been spared is now gone.

- Reduced to rubble -

Unable to return to the south, some displaced families are sharing the cost of purchasing satellite images -- at $140 -- to catch a glimpse of their hometowns.

Some post images of their homes on social media, taken before and after their destruction.

Among them is an anti-Hezbollah activist whose grandfather's three-storey home in the city of Nabatieh was wrecked in an Israeli strike.

A veteran writer meanwhile mourned his book collection in the border town of Bint Jbeil.

"Israel is trying to remove all the essential elements of life necessary for return," said Farah, who learned through satellite imagery that her house in Yarun, a town where both Christians and Muslims lived, was now rubble.

Her voice broke as she scrolled through dozens of photos and videos on her phone.

"What happened during the truce confirms that Israel's goal is the urbicide of the south, including Yarun," she said.

Environment Minister Tamara Zein last month also accused Israel of committing an "urbicide" in the area, using a term which means the deliberate destruction of urban areas.

Israel occupied south Lebanon until the year 2000, and Hezbollah has insisted it must retain its arsenal, despite a Lebanese government push to reclaim the monopoly of force.

While the majority of the south is Shia, Farah said Israel's demolitions in Yarun have included "the church hall, a convent and the Saint George school".

Around six kilometers (four miles) north of Yarun, satellite images from early April showed no sign of major damage in Bint Jbeil, an ancient hilltop town that had become a Hezbollah bastion.

A month later, the town appeared to have been razed almost entirely, including the stadium where slain Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah delivered his "liberation" speech in 2000 to mark the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

- 'Destroy the land' -

At Lebanon's government-linked National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) in Beirut, research director Chadi Abdallah showed AFP journalists before and after images of Bint Jbeil.

"Most buildings in Bint Jbeil are destroyed," he said, with most demolitions and detonations occurring since the truce.

"The Israelis are not conducting military or clearing operations; they are entering to destroy the land, the people, and the infrastructure," he said.

The agriculture ministry estimated this month that Israeli attacks have damaged more than 560 square kilometers of farmland.

"They are trying to erase the memory of the people in this region and to erase its history," said Abdallah.

According to the CNRS, Israeli attacks since 2023 have destroyed more than 290,000 housing units, 61,000 of them since the start of the latest war.

Among them, some 12,000 units were completely or partially destroyed since the truce began.

Lebanese officials say Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,000 people since Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war in support of Iran after Israeli strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader.

"Lebanon is witnessing such destruction for the first time in its history," said researcher Hanaa Jaber, who has roots in Bint Jbeil.

More than a million people displaced from the south face an "uprooting... with terrible repercussions," she said.

- 'Life support' -

Others, like Imad Bazzi from Bint Jbeil, spoke to AFP about the loss of their life's work.

"There is a total annihilation of... Bint Jbeil, from residential buildings and water and electricity institutions to the hospital, and even schools and gas stations," said Bazzi, 60, a municipal councilor and owner of an engineering firm that was destroyed.

"What is happening today is a blatant change of geography. It is systematic destruction."

Israel, whose soldiers are operating inside a self-declared "yellow line" that runs around 10 kilometers north of the border, says it is protecting its communities from Hezbollah attacks.

Lebanon and Israel began their first direct talks in decades last month in Washington, and Farah, the woman from Yarun, hopes for a positive outcome.

"We hope this will be the last war, because our villages in the south... are currently on life support," she said.

"We hope the Israelis will withdraw from every inch of our land and let us... create new memories for our children, erasing the echoes of the strikes that still ring in their ears."