Israeli forces on Saturday carried out a new wave of strikes and a rare airborne raid in Lebanon, intensifying hostilities with the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah as the conflict along the border escalates.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck Hezbollah military infrastructure overnight, including rocket launchers, weapons depots and command centers in southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley. The Israeli military said commanders from Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force were among those targeted, accusing them of planning attacks against Israeli troops and civilians.

Fighting intensified near the town of Nabi Chit along the Lebanese-Syrian border after Israeli helicopters inserted troops into the mountainous area. Hezbollah said its fighters detected the helicopters and repelled Israeli troops, prompting waves of Israeli airstrikes aimed at covering the unit's withdrawal and preventing reinforcements from reaching the area.

Lebanese media said the clashes and subsequent bombardment in the area killed at least 41 people, including members of the Lebanese army and civilians. Israel said none of its soldiers were injured.

The Israeli military said the airborne operation was intended to search for the remains of Ron Arad, an Israeli air force navigator missing in Lebanon since 1986, though it said no findings related to him were recovered.

The escalation comes days after Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel, its first such attack since a November 2024 ceasefire. Israel has since launched what it calls an offensive military campaign combining airstrikes and limited ground incursions, while issuing evacuation warnings in parts of southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Lebanon would face a "very heavy price" if it failed to curb Hezbollah's activities, saying Israel would prioritize the protection of its civilians and soldiers.

Hezbollah warned residents of northern Israeli communities, including the city of Kiryat Shmona, to evacuate, raising fears of further escalation along the border.

The fighting has triggered widespread displacement across Lebanon, with hundreds of thousands forced from their homes amid heavy bombardment, according to officials and aid agencies.

United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert on Saturday warned the conflict could worsen and urged urgent diplomatic efforts to halt the violence.

The clashes unfold amid a wider regional war triggered by joint US–Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, which prompted Tehran to launch retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the Middle East.