Khaled Youssef
31 May 2026•Update: 31 May 2026
The Israeli military on Saturday announced the suspension of educational activities and the closure of beaches in areas near the Lebanese border amid escalating hostilities with Hezbollah.
The military said the measures were adopted following a security assessment of the situation along the northern border.
It said educational activities would be suspended in communities adjacent to Lebanon, while public gatherings would be minimized and beaches in affected areas would be closed.
Residents were also instructed to remain close to shelters and protected spaces on Sunday and Monday.
In the Upper Galilee and the occupied Golan Heights, educational activities may continue only inside buildings or locations that provide immediate access to protected areas, said the military.
The announcement came as Hebrew media reported that the Israeli military is seeking to deepen its ground operations in Lebanon and has erected bridges over the Litani River to facilitate troop movements.
Hezbollah on Saturday expanded its attacks toward northern Israel, saying the strikes were in response to what it described as daily Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement that took effect April 17 and has been extended until early July.
A senior Lebanese military source told Anadolu on Saturday that Israeli forces had reached villages and towns north of the Litani River, including Zawtar al-Sharqiya and Shaqif Arnoun, approaching the outskirts of the city of Nabatieh.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that the military had crossed the Litani River and advanced to what he described as “positions of control.”
Since March 2, Israel has carried out a large-scale military campaign in Lebanon that has killed 3,371 people and injured 10,129, according to official Lebanese figures.
The conflict has also displaced more than 1 million people, according to Lebanese authorities.
*Writing by Sahin Demir in Istanbul.
