*Update*: Hezbollah expands rocket attacks as Israel advances deeper

The situation in southern Lebanon is deteriorating rapidly. After Israel captured the Crusader fortress Beaufort the previous day, the Israeli army now reports a further expansion of ground operations. Zeit Online reports that both sides are accusing each other of new attacks and the ceasefire agreed in April is now definitively null and void.

Hezbollah responded to the Israeli advance by expanding the radius of its rocket attacks on northern Israel. Der Spiegel reports that the militia is responding to the Israeli offensive and is deliberately targeting settlements further north than before. ZDF reports that Israeli units of the Golani Brigade have now penetrated deeper into southern Lebanon than at any point since the withdrawal in 2000.

Strategic territorial gains and international criticism

Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the territorial gains via the microblogging service X. Die Welt writes that the capture of Beaufort – located at over 700 meters elevation – gives Israel strategic oversight of large parts of southern Lebanon and can serve as a starting point for further operations. The fortress was last abandoned in 2000 during Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon.

Der Tagesspiegel reports that the expansion of the ground offensive is triggering sharp international criticism. Several European governments have called on Israel to halt operations and return to negotiations. According to Deutschlandfunk, diplomatic efforts to achieve a new ceasefire are continuing in parallel, though no concrete breakthrough is yet apparent.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in southern Lebanon continues to deteriorate. Süddeutsche Zeitung reports that aid organizations are increasingly having difficulty reaching affected areas, while the civilian population flees the combat zones.