Israel struck a major bridge on the coastal highway connecting southern and central Lebanon and ordered all crossings over the Litani River destroyed. The strikes and accelerated demolition of border homes follow Hezbollah attacks on March 2 and represent a significant escalation. Lebanese authorities report more than 1,000 dead; Human Rights Watch warns that severing bridges south of the Litani could produce a humanitarian catastrophe.
Israel Strikes Key Bridge Over Litani River, Orders Demolition of Border Homes in Lebanon
Debris covers the damaged area of a bridge after an Israeli strike, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, near Qasmiyeh, Lebanon, March 22, 2026. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
Near Tyre, Lebanon / Tel Aviv, March 22 (Reuters) - Israeli forces struck a principal bridge on the coastal highway linking southern and central Lebanon on Sunday and said they had been ordered to destroy all crossings over the Litani River and step up demolition of homes near the southern border.
A flock of birds flies beneath an Israeli Apache helicopter on the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon, amid escalation between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel and the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in northern Israel, March 22, 2026. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
The move marks a significant escalation in Israel's campaign in Lebanon, which was drawn into the wider regional conflict on March 2 after Hezbollah fired into Israeli territory. International law generally prohibits attacks on civilian infrastructure, and the United Nations human rights chief has criticized Israel's actions, especially large-scale evacuation orders that have displaced more than a million people.
A girl looks inside a car covered with a family’s belongings at a temporary encampment for displaced people, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Beirut, Lebanon, March 22, 2026. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
The damaged crossing sits on the coastal highway running through farmland and is one of the main routes connecting southern and central Lebanon. An Israeli military spokesperson said the army had warned the bridge would be struck earlier in the day.
People try to light a fire next to tents at a temporary encampment for displaced people, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Beirut, Lebanon, March 22, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
"Our house is right next to the bridge. It was destroyed in the last war and we had rebuilt a basic structure to live in - I hope it's still standing," Lama al-Fares, who lives on farmland adjacent to the crossing, told Reuters.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strikes as a "prelude to a ground invasion" and accused Israel of pursuing a "policy of collective punishment against civilians." He warned the attacks would hinder humanitarian deliveries and suggested they could be part of "suspicious schemes" to expand Israeli presence in Lebanese territory.
A view of area of a bridge, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, near Qasmiyeh, Lebanon, March 22, 2026. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military had been ordered to destroy all bridges over the Litani used for "terrorist activity" to prevent Hezbollah fighters and weapons from moving south. Israeli officials said they had already destroyed three bridges in southern Lebanon in the previous 10 days and reported a second strike on the same bridge on Sunday evening, according to Lebanese state media.
A girl walks at a temporary encampment for displaced people, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Beirut, Lebanon, March 22, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
Earlier on Sunday, an Israeli civilian died in his car near the border after what the military described as a "launch" from Lebanese territory. About ten hours after Israel's ambulance service reported the death, the military said it was investigating whether the man may have been hit by Israeli fire. Two Israeli soldiers have also been killed in fighting in Lebanon.
Lebanon's health ministry says Israeli strikes have killed more than 1,000 people in the country, including nearly 120 children, 80 women and 40 medical personnel; the ministry does not separate reported civilian and militant casualties.
Humanitarian Concerns and Legal Questions
Human Rights Watch researcher Ramzi Kaiss warned that strikes on bridges and wide-scale home demolitions would inflict severe civilian harm. "If all these bridges are struck, and the region south of the Litani becomes isolated from the rest of the country, the civilian harm will be immense," he said, adding that wholesale destruction of homes could amount to wanton destruction and may constitute a war crime under international law.
Israel says its air and ground operations are focused on targeted raids and ground maneuvers against Hezbollah militants and weapons stores to protect communities in northern Israel near the border. The Lebanese government has outlawed Hezbollah's military activity and expressed a desire for direct talks with Israel.
Reporting by Ahmed Fahmy and Amr Abdallah Dalsh near Tyre and Maya Gebeily in Beirut; Alexander Cornwell in Tel Aviv; editing by Christina Fincher and Hugh Lawson.
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