Lebanon has witnessed a notable field escalation after an Israeli force attempted a helicopter-borne landing in the town of Al-Nabi Shayth in the northern Bekaa Valley, accompanied by intense airstrikes and direct clashes with Hezbollah fighters.
The developments also revived the decades-old case of missing Israeli pilot Ron Arad, after circulating reports suggested the operation might have been linked to a search for his remains.
The escalation comes amid a broader regional confrontation along the Lebanese front, with continued exchanges of rocket fire and airstrikes, and warnings of a worsening humanitarian situation as large displacement waves spread across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.
Raid attempt and clashes in Al-Nabi Shayth
The town of Al-Nabi Shayth in northern Bekaa witnessed what was described as an Israeli landing attempt on Friday evening, March 6, after military helicopters were spotted in the skies before an infantry unit reportedly infiltrated the eastern neighborhood of the town.
Hezbollah said in a statement that its fighters engaged the Israeli force near the town cemetery using light and medium weapons. The group added that local armed residents also participated in providing fire support as the Israeli unit withdrew.
According to the statement, Israeli warplanes carried out heavy air cover to secure the withdrawal of the infiltrating force, launching around 40 airstrikes targeting the surroundings of the town and nearby areas.
Meanwhile, the Syrian state-run al-Ikhbariya channel reported that an Israeli army helicopter flew over al-Zabadani in the Damascus countryside, a border area near Al-Nabi Shayth.
Ron Arad’s name resurfaces
The field escalation coincided with unconfirmed reports linking the raid attempt to the case of missing Israeli pilot Ron Arad.
According to Arab media reports, an Israeli commando unit attempted to carry out an operation inside the cemetery of Al-Nabi Shayth, amid speculation that the force was searching for remains believed to be connected to Arad’s case.
Other circulating reports suggested the Israeli army may have brought a local resident to guide the force to a site believed to be linked to the case. These accounts, however, have not been officially confirmed by any military or security authority.
Who is Ron Arad?
Israeli pilot Ron Arad went missing on October 16, 1986, after his aircraft crashed during a bombing mission over Lebanon.
According to the Israeli narrative, Arad ejected with a parachute after the aircraft malfunctioned, while the other pilot was rescued. Arad was reportedly last seen after reaching the ground.
Since then, multiple accounts have emerged about his fate. Reports suggested he was initially captured by the Amal movement before being transferred between different groups, with some estimates indicating he died sometime between the late 1980s and mid 1990s.
Despite nearly four decades since his disappearance, Arad’s case has remained present in prisoner exchange negotiations and Israeli intelligence efforts.
In 2021, Israel’s Mossad announced that it had conducted a special operation to obtain information related to his fate, though without conclusive results.
Casualties reported
The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced that 26 people were killed and 35 injured in airstrikes targeting Al-Nabi Shayth, while search operations for survivors continued under the rubble.
Israeli bombardment also extended to several towns in southern Lebanon, including Zawtar, Nabatieh al-Fawqa, and Arnoun, as well as Ansar, Shaqra, Yater, Aita al-Shaab, and Maroun al-Ras, as part of an intensive aerial campaign targeting villages near the Litani River.
In response, Hezbollah said it launched rockets and drones toward northern Israel, including a rocket barrage targeting a gathering of Israeli forces near the city of al-Khiam.
UNIFIL soldiers wounded
In a separate incident, three soldiers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were wounded after two artillery shells landed near the al-Qawzah base in southern Lebanon.
French President Emmanuel Macron described the incident as “unacceptable” in a post on X, calling for respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty and the safety of peacekeeping forces.
Large displacement and regional escalation
The escalation in Lebanon comes as military operations expand across the region following joint US and Israeli strikes against Iran, opening multiple fronts across the Middle East.
Israeli evacuation orders have triggered large-scale displacement in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. The Norwegian Refugee Council estimated the number of displaced people at around 300,000, amid warnings of a worsening humanitarian crisis.
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