IDF strikes Lebanese bridges, kills Hezbollah commanders as fighting in north intensifies

Israeli farmer Ofer Moskovitz was killed Sunday morning in the northern kibbutz of Misgav Am amid the fighting between the IDF and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, as Israel vowed to intensify the operations against the terror group.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have ordered the IDF to immediately destroy all the bridges over the Litani River that are used for terrorist activity, in order to prevent the passage of Hezbollah terrorists and weapons southward,” said Defense Minister Israel Katz in a statement.

He also ordered the acceleration of “the destruction of Lebanese homes in the border villages in order to thwart threats to the Israeli settlements, in accordance with the model of Beit Hanoun and Rafah in Gaza,” Katz added.

WATCH: Israeli airstrike targets Qasmiyeh Bridge over the Litani River in southern Lebanon pic.twitter.com/h37Vdhd14F

— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) March 22, 2026

The Israeli Air Force has been continuously striking Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, while ground troops are slowly advancing to create a buffer zone along the Israeli border.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah has been firing rockets and drones into northern Israel almost nonstop. On Sunday morning, the group claimed responsibility for the projectile that killed Moskovitz, though the IDF later said it was investigating a suspicion that an Israeli artillery shell may have hit the avocado farmer and kibbutz spokesman as he was driving near the border.

“The possibility that the incident involved fire originating from IDF soldiers is being examined,” the military said.

במשגב עם, פגיעה ישירה ברכב, נבדק האם מפגיעת נ"ט מלבנון. במקום שני פצועים. אחד קשה. @WallaNews pic.twitter.com/HURaBXHvtA

— יואב איתיאל מדווח כי (@yoavetiel) March 22, 2026

Later on Sunday, the IDF said that Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir approved plans on Saturday for the continuation of the operations in Lebanon on Saturday: “The operation against the Hezbollah terrorist organization has only begun - at the conclusion of the operation in Iran, Hezbollah will remain alone and isolated. The operation against Hezbollah is a prolonged one, and we are prepared for it,” said Zamir.

“Iran is our primary effort, and the northern arena is an additional central arena. They are interconnected. The Hezbollah terrorist organization is a central proxy of the Iranian terror regime and made a grave mistake when it chose to join the campaign against Israel.”

Zamir said that over 2,000 targets have been hit so far, including dozens of weapons storage facilities, while hundreds of terrorists have been killed.

On Sunday, videos on social media showed the Israeli airstrikes on the Qasmiya Bridge, a key crossing point over the Litani River on the coastal highway outside the city of Tyre, the fifth attack on a bridge in southern Lebanon so far.

תיעוד: הפגיעה הישירה בקיבוץ משגב עם הבוקר@rubih67 pic.twitter.com/1JaEK37N0O

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 22, 2026

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned Israel’s targeting of bridges, which is the first time in years that Israel has explicitly targeted ostensibly civilian infrastructure being used by Hezbollah.

“These attacks constitute a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty. They are considered a prelude to a ground invasion – something Lebanon has repeatedly warned against through diplomatic channels,” Aoun wrote on 𝕏.

“The targeting of the bridges over the Litani River – a vital artery for civilian movement – constitutes an attempt to sever the geographic connection between the area south of the Litani and the rest of Lebanese territory, and obstructs the delivery of humanitarian aid,” Aoun added, arguing that it reflects the pursuit of “Israeli expansion into Lebanese territory.”

Meanwhile, Hezbollah has claimed that its operatives have clashed with Israeli soldiers in the towns of Taybeh, al-Khiam, and Naqoura, while the IDF has refrained from revealing where its troops are operating, saying they are “continuing in precise operations in southern Lebanon” that are “aimed at enhancing the forward defense area in southern Lebanon.”

חיל האוויר ולוחמי אוגדה 91 חיסלו תשעה מחבלים מארגון הטרור חיזבאללה בדרום לבנון

כוחות אוגדה 91 ממשיכים בפעילות הקרקעית הממוקדת להרחבת מרחב האבטחה בדרום לבנון.

אתמול, לוחמי יחידת האיסוף 869 זיהו מספר מחבלים חמושים שהתקרבו לעבר המרחב בו פועלים הכוחות.
בסגירת מעגל מהירה, הלוחמים… pic.twitter.com/L7fa8em3JB

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) March 22, 2026

On Sunday, the Israeli military said the soldiers of the 36th Division eliminated more than 10 terrorists during targeted raids on several Hezbollah military structures and located large quantities of weapons.

“In parallel, additional IDF soldiers operating in southern Lebanon located a structure used as a gathering point for Hezbollah terrorists. During operations, numerous weapons were found in the area, including rockets, firearms, and magazines used by the terrorist organization’s operatives to advance and carry out terrorist attacks against IDF soldiers and the State of Israel.”

In addition, Israeli troops of the 91st Division on Saturday identified several armed terrorists approaching them. “In response, ground forces engaged to remove the threat, while the Israeli Air Force, directed by the ground troops, struck the terrorists and eliminated them.”

Also on Saturday, an airstrike killed the terrorist Abu Khalil Barji, commander of the Special Forces in Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, along with two other terrorists, in the area of Majdal Selm.

The IDF noted: “Barji had served for years as a commander in the Radwan Force and recently commanded its special forces, which were responsible, among other roles, for attacking IDF troops.”