CIS LEBANON SECURITY INDEX – March 24 2026

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

⛔ ACTIVE WAR — DAY 25 OF THE IRAN WAR

INDEX LEVEL: 🔴🔴 CATASTROPHIC OVERALL INDEX: 99/100 TREND: ⬆️ MAXIMUM — OCCUPATION DECLARED; BEIRUT SUBURBS STRUCK; 1,039 DEAD; BUSHEHR STRUCK; STRAIT OF HORMUZ PARTIALLY REOPENING

⛔ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY — MARCH 24, 2026

Day 25 of the Iran war. Lebanon’s fourth week of active war is its worst yet on the legal, military, political and diplomatic fronts simultaneously:

• Israel formally declares occupation of southern Lebanon to the Litani River — Defence Minister Katz states the IDF “will control the remaining bridges and the security zone up to the Litani” — the first explicit Israeli territorial occupation declaration since 2000
• Finance Minister Smotrich calls for annexation — states “the new Israeli border must be the Litani” in an Israeli radio interview; HRW says forced displacement constitutes war crimes
• Bshamoun, Mount Lebanon struck — 3-year-old girl killed; 3 total dead — no warning; outside Hezbollah strongholds; Aley district — 10km southeast of Beirut
• Halta, Hasbaya district: IDF abducts civilian; kills teenager — Israeli soldiers searched homes, shot and killed a resident
• Grand Mosque in Al-Jumaymah struck by Israeli airstrike
• UNIFIL HQ in Naqoura struck — projectile hit battalion headquarters; Hezbollah claimed simultaneous attack on Israeli troops there; IDF UNIFIL drone grenade near Kfar Kila patrol also confirmed
• Israel announces evacuation orders for Tyre city, Burj al-Shamali, Al-Maashouq — directly targeting Tyre’s urban core; violent raid on Burj al-Shamali captured on video
• Iranian missile intercepted over Kesrouan — debris falls across areas north of Beirut previously spared; panic in Keserwan; Al-Hadath: Iran may have been targeting US assets in Lebanon
• Lebanon expels Iranian ambassador — orders him to leave by Sunday; first such expulsion in Lebanese history
• 150+ Iranian nationals left Lebanon including diplomats
• Lebanon bans use of word “resistance” for Hezbollah in all state media
• PM Salam on Al-Hadath TV (March 22): “IRGC is directing Hezbollah; this war was imposed on Lebanon; IRGC members have fake passports and entered Lebanon illegally”
• Trump claims Iran talks “very productive”; Iran calls it “fake news” — Iran fires new barrage at Israel simultaneously; Iran strikes Bushehr area (US-Israeli attack); Bushehr nuclear plant targeted
• Trump postpones strikes on Iranian power plants by 5 days — orders military to hold off on energy infrastructure strikes; Hegseth and Caine “only two quite disappointed” by ceasefire prospect
• Strait of Hormuz partial reopening — Iran informs IMO that non-hostile ships may transit “in coordination with Iranian authorities” — a significant de-escalation signal on oil markets
• Death toll: 1,039 killed, 2,786 wounded since March 2 — confirmed L’Orient Today/AFP/Lebanese MoPH
• 1.2 million displaced — 1 in 5 Lebanese (UN spokesman Dujarric, confirmed today)
• France: “No occupation of Lebanon is acceptable” — Macron at Arab World Institute, Paris
• French FM calls on Israel to refrain from controlling southern Lebanon
• Wafiq Safa (Hezbollah security chief) vows anti-government action after war
• Geagea: Iran must compensate Lebanon for all war losses

🚨 ALL BREAKING DEVELOPMENTS — TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2026

🔴 #1 — ISRAEL FORMALLY DECLARES OCCUPATION OF SOUTH LEBANON TO LITANI RIVER

[Reuters / Jerusalem Post / Democracy Now — confirmed today, 5-11 hours ago]

In the most consequential single announcement since the war began, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated in a meeting with the military chief of staff that the IDF “will control the remaining bridges and the security zone up to the Litani” and is creating a “defensive buffer.” This is the first time Israel has clearly and formally spelled out its intent to seize swathes of southern Lebanon — territory making up nearly a tenth of Lebanon’s land area.

Katz had previously threatened Lebanon’s government it would lose territory if it failed to disarm Hezbollah. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich went further, saying on Israeli radio: “I say here definitively… in every room and in every discussion, too: the new Israeli border must be the Litani.” Israel last occupied southern Lebanon from 1982 to 2000. That occupation lasted 18 years and ended in unilateral Israeli withdrawal under fire from Hezbollah. Lebanon’s government has not formally responded; President Aoun stated the war “could have been avoided if Israel withdrew from occupied areas and honoured the 2024 ceasefire deal.”

Lebanese President Aoun said the conflict between Israel and Lebanon could have been avoided if Israel had withdrawn from southern areas as outlined in the 2024 ceasefire deal made between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. Israel’s targeting of infrastructure, including bridges, along the Litani River “aims to isolate villages and towns south of the Litani River from the rest of Lebanon.”

French FM immediately called on Israel to refrain from sending forces to control an area in southern Lebanon. France’s President Macron, at the Arab World Institute in Paris (attended by a Lebanese minister), stated: “No occupation, no form of colonization — not here, not in the West Bank, nor anywhere else — is able to ensure the security of anybody.”

HRW Assessment: Human Rights Watch has issued its latest report stating that Israel’s forcible displacement and deliberate targeting of civilians constitute war crimes. The sweeping evacuation orders, the “Rafah model” demolition of border villages, and the announced intent to depopulate the south for an indefinite occupation are all cited.

🔴 #2 — BSHAMOUN, MOUNT LEBANON: 3-YEAR-OLD GIRL KILLED; 3 DEAD TOTAL — NO WARNING

[Al Jazeera / L’Orient Today / AFP / Naharnet — confirmed today]

An Israeli strike on a residential apartment in Bshamoun in Beirut’s periphery killed at least three people including a three-year-old girl, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. The attack, which took place about 10km southeast of Beirut, wounded five others. The strike came without warning and hit an area outside Beirut’s southern suburbs, where the Israeli military had previously issued forced evacuation notices. Footage circulating online showed at least one apartment in a building engulfed in flames.

Bshamoun is in the Aley district — a Druze-majority mountainous area southeast of Beirut that has no Hezbollah presence and is not part of any declared evacuation zone. The killing of a 3-year-old girl in a residential building with no warning in a non-Hezbollah district represents the most stark evidence yet of the expanding geography of civilian harm. This is the fifth distinct area outside Dahiyeh where civilians have been killed in Beirut’s broader periphery: Raouche, Aicha Bakkar, Bashoura, Zuqaq al-Blat, and now Bshamoun.

Earlier in the same night, Israel launched 7 strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs targeting: Bir al-Abed, Al-Ruwais (outskirts of Al-Manshiyya), Haret Hreik, Sayyed Hadi Nasrallah Highway, Saint Therese, Burj al-Barajneh, and Al-Kafaat — all confirmed by NNA.

🔴 #3 — HALTA, HASBAYA DISTRICT: IDF ABDUCTS CIVILIAN; KILLS TEENAGER

[Naharnet / L’Orient Today / LiveUAMap — confirmed today]

In Halta, in the Hasbaya district, Israeli soldiers searched homes and shot at a resident, who was killed. A separate Lebanese MoPH statement confirmed Israeli forces abducted a young man in the town of Halta. The killing of a civilian during a house search and the abduction of another resident in Hasbaya district represent a pattern of IDF conduct in occupied southern territory that is drawing international condemnation. Hasbaya district (southeast Lebanon) is adjacent to the Syrian border and the Golan Heights — the eastern prong of Israel’s ground expansion.

🔴 #4 — TYRE CITY EVACUATION ORDER; BURJ AL-SHAMALI STRUCK VIOLENTLY; PETROL STATION HIT

[Naharnet / LiveUAMap / Al Jazeera — confirmed today]

The Israeli military issued Tuesday evacuation warnings for the southern towns of Tyre (Sour), Burj al-Shamali, and Al-Maashouq — escalating pressure directly on Lebanon’s third city. Israeli forces also hit a petrol station belonging to the Amana company in Rashidieh, near the port city of Tyre, sending a large plume of flames into the air. Israel has repeatedly struck Amana petrol stations since the conflict with Hezbollah reignited on March 2, accusing them of being part of the group’s “economic infrastructure.”

LiveUAMap confirmed: “The moment a violent Israeli raid was launched on Burj al-Shamali in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon” — captured on video and broadcast widely. A drone strike targeted the town of Shahour. A second Israeli drone strike targeted the roundabout near the flag in Tyre after citizens gathered there — more than 10 injuries reported. Tyre’s civilian population, already hosting tens of thousands of displaced persons from further south, is now directly under Israeli evacuation order.

🔴 #5 — GRAND MOSQUE IN AL-JUMAYMAH STRUCK; HEALTH CENTRE IN BURJ QALAOUIYAH KILLS 12 PARAMEDICS

[LiveUAMap / Wikipedia 2026 Lebanon War — confirmed]

An Israeli airstrike targeted the Grand Mosque in the town of Al-Jumaymah in south Lebanon today — the first confirmed mosque strike of the war. Lebanon’s health ministry confirmed that an Israeli airstrike hit a health centre in Burj Qalaouiyah, killing 12 people — nearly the entire medical team of paramedics, doctors, and nurses — leaving only one severely injured worker alive. This is the single deadliest strike on a healthcare facility since the war began and brings the total healthcare workers killed since March 2 to well above 50. The UN had previously warned that attacks on medical facilities are violations of international humanitarian law.

🔴 #6 — UNIFIL HQ IN NAQOURA STRUCK; DRONE GRENADE ON KFAR KILA PATROL

[Al Jazeera / UNIFIL / Naharnet / Prism News — confirmed March 23-24]

The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon announced its headquarters in Naqoura had been hit by a projectile, probably launched by a “non-state actor”, after Hezbollah declared it had targeted Israeli forces in the same town.

This is a significant escalation against the UN peacekeeping mission. Separately, UNIFIL said that an Israeli drone dropped a grenade close to one of its patrols near Kfar Kila, followed by a tank shot, adding that Israel’s actions were “in violation of Security Council Resolution 1701 and Lebanon’s sovereignty, and show disregard for safety and security of the peacekeepers implementing Security Council-mandated tasks in southern Lebanon.” Two previous UNIFIL peacekeeper incidents — Ghanaian soldiers struck at Qouzah on March 6 — have already drawn formal condemnation from France, the UN, India, and 29 other UNIFIL troop-contributing nations.

🔴 #7 — IRAN MISSILE INTERCEPTED OVER KESROUAN — DEBRIS ACROSS NORTH BEIRUT; POSSIBLE US TARGET IN LEBANON

[Naharnet / LiveUAMap / Al-Hadath — confirmed today]

Explosions rocked several areas north of Beirut that have so far been spared in the ongoing Israeli war, according to residents and local media. The intercepted Iranian missile shed debris across Kesrouan — a governorate that had been entirely untouched in this war. Al-Hadath television reported that the missile was launched by Iran “towards an American target in Lebanon” — suggesting Iran may be directly targeting US military or intelligence assets believed to be operating from Lebanese territory. Dozens of missile fragments fell in various parts of Lebanon. This is the first Iranian missile intercepted over Lebanese airspace in this war — opening a new dimension: Lebanon as a target of Iranian fire, not just Israeli.

🔴 #8 — LEBANON EXPELS IRANIAN AMBASSADOR; BANS WORD “RESISTANCE” FOR HEZBOLLAH; 150+ IRANIANS LEAVE

[Naharnet / Wikipedia 2026 Lebanon War — confirmed today and March 22-23]

In the most dramatic Lebanese government action since banning Hezbollah’s military activities on March 2, Lebanon has taken three unprecedented steps:

1. Lebanon’s foreign ministry withdrew its approval of the Iranian ambassador’s accreditation, giving him until Sunday to leave the country. This is the first time Lebanon has expelled an Iranian ambassador in its history.

2. Minister of Information Paul Morkos ordered all media — television, radio and the national news agency — to stop using the word “resistance” affiliated to Hezbollah, meaning they are not to call them by that name anymore.

3. Following the Lebanese legal actions against Hezbollah and the IRGC, more than 150 Iranian nationals left Lebanon, including diplomats.

These three actions together represent a Lebanese state fully and formally severing its political legitimacy relationship with Hezbollah and Iran. They are without precedent in the history of the Lebanese Republic.

🔴 #9 — PM SALAM: “IRGC IS DIRECTING HEZBOLLAH WITH FAKE PASSPORTS; THIS WAR WAS IMPOSED ON LEBANON”

[Al-Hadath Television / Wikipedia 2026 Lebanon War — March 22, confirmed]

In a March 22 interview to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hadath television station, PM Salam said Iranian IRGC is directing Hezbollah in its war on Israel and that this war was imposed on Lebanon: “These were the Revolutionary Guards, who are present and, unfortunately, managing military operations in Lebanon… These people have fake passports and entered the country illegally.” He mentioned again the government’s unprecedented decision to ban Hezbollah’s military activity. This is the Lebanese PM’s most explicit public denunciation of Iran’s role in Lebanon on record.

🔴 #10 — TRUMP CLAIMS IRAN TALKS “VERY PRODUCTIVE”; IRAN CALLS IT “FAKE NEWS”; BUSHEHR STRUCK; HORMUZ PARTIALLY REOPENS

[NPR / CNN / Al Jazeera / L’Orient Today — confirmed today, 5-47 minutes ago]

The diplomatic picture is its most complex yet:

US President Trump said on Tuesday Iran made a valuable offer to reach a deal with the United States, in talks that Iran has denied are taking place. “We’ve won this. This war has been won,” Trump said. Iranian officials firmly rejected the claims, with the IRGC and parliamentary leaders calling the statements “fake news” and a “big lie.” Trump said Defense Secretary Hegseth was “quite disappointed” by the prospect of the US negotiating a ceasefire with Iran. “Pete didn’t want it to be settled,” he said, adding that Hegseth and General Caine were the “only two people quite disappointed.”

Despite Trump’s peace claims, Iran fired a new missile barrage at Israel. The Iranian Atomic Energy Organization confirmed that the United States and Israel attacked the area around the Bushehr nuclear plant on Tuesday evening, with no technical damage or human casualties based on initial reports.

Hormuz partial opening: Iran informed member states of the International Maritime Organization that non-hostile ships may transit the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with Iranian authorities, the Financial Times reported, citing a letter circulated to member states. This is the first Hormuz de-escalation signal since the war began — potentially significant for global oil prices if implemented. Crude oil prices surged over $100 a barrel again even with this partial opening signal.

Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif publicly offered to host US-Iran talks, standing ready to facilitate dialogue to end the war. Neither the US nor Iran have commented.

Trump ordered the US military to postpone planned strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for 5 days — a tactical pause while talks are claimed. IDF Chief of Staff briefed reporters the campaign is “halfway” done.

🔴 #11 — WAFIQ SAFA VOWS ANTI-GOVERNMENT ACTION AFTER WAR; GEAGEA DEMANDS IRAN COMPENSATE LEBANON

[Naharnet — confirmed today, 13:30 and 15:33]

Two domestic political developments with major post-war implications:

Wafiq Safa — Hezbollah’s head of security and liaison with the state — vowed anti-government action after the war. This is an open threat from Hezbollah’s security apparatus against Lebanon’s government for banning Hezbollah’s military activities, expelling the Iranian ambassador, and suppressing the word “resistance.” It signals that Hezbollah intends to seek political revenge against the Salam government once the war ends.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Iran must compensate Lebanon for all war losses. This demand — unprecedented in Lebanese politics — reflects the anti-Iran sentiment now dominant in Lebanon’s non-Shi’ite political community and places a financial and legal liability framework around Iran’s role in causing the war.

🔴 #12 — BERRI “HOPEFUL” AS IRAN PLEDGES LEBANON WILL BE IN ANY DEAL

[Naharnet — confirmed today, 13:20]

Iran has informed leaders in Beirut of a “clear pledge” to include Lebanon in any deal that ends the ongoing war with the United States and Israel. Speaker Berri said he was hopeful following this communication. This is the first signal from Iran that Lebanon’s fate will not be determined entirely separately from the broader US-Iran war settlement. If true, it means any ceasefire of the Iran war would simultaneously produce a Lebanon ceasefire — the most direct diplomatic pathway to ending Lebanon’s war. However, given Iran’s simultaneous denial of US-Iran talks, this pledge must be treated with extreme caution.

🔴 #13 — DEATH TOLL: 1,039 KILLED; 2,786 WOUNDED; 1.2 MILLION DISPLACED (1 IN 5 LEBANESE)

[Lebanese MoPH / AFP / UN spokesman Dujarric — confirmed today]

Israel has since launched strikes across Lebanon, killing at least 1,039 people, and sent ground troops into the country’s south. Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 1,039 people and injured 2,786 others since March 2. A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres confirmed this week that the conflict has pushed more than 1.2 million people to flee their homes — about one in five people across Lebanon.

🔴 #14 — ISRAEL STRIKES DALLAFA BRIDGE; THREE RAIDS ON AL-QASIMIYA BRIDGE; LITANI ISOLATION COMPLETE

[Naharnet / LiveUAMap — confirmed March 23-24]

The Israeli military struck a bridge linking southern Lebanon with the eastern Bekaa region, state media reported, after warning it would hit the crossing. Three raids on the Al-Qasimiya bridge and a new raid on the Al-Baraka project crossing in Arzi confirm a systematic campaign to destroy every bridge over the Litani and connecting south Lebanon to the Bekaa. This is the “isolate and occupy” strategy in physical infrastructure form — cutting off every road to and from the future Israeli security zone. Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto reported from Beirut that Israel’s strategy is trapping civilians and making it “extremely difficult” for the Lebanese armed forces to deliver humanitarian aid to the more than one million people displaced.

🔴 #15 — TODAY’S FULL CONFIRMED STRIKE LIST — ALL GOVERNORATES

[LiveUAMap Lebanon — confirmed today]

Beirut / Mount Lebanon:

• Bshamoun (Aley District): Residential building — 3 killed including 3-year-old girl; 5 wounded
• Dahiyeh (7 overnight strikes): Bir al-Abed, Ruwais-Manshiyya, Haret Hreik, Sayyed Hadi Nasrallah Hwy, Saint Therese, Burj al-Barajneh, Al-Kafaat
• Bir al-Abed: overnight airstrike photographed by AFP (Hussein Malla/AP)

South Lebanon / Tyre District:

• Burj al-Shamali: Violent IDF raid — on video
• Tyre city (Sour): Evacuation order issued; drone strike on public roundabout — 10+ injuries
• Rashidieh: Petrol station (Amana) struck — large blaze
• Shahour: Drone strike; Amal official Ahmad Dib killed
• Naqoura: UNIFIL HQ struck; artillery and phosphorus shelling on outskirts; IDF drone grenade near Kfar Kila UNIFIL patrol
• Adloun: IDF raid
• Al-Shahabiya and Tayr Dibba: Airstrikes (twice on Al-Shahabiya)
• Jouya-Majdal corridor: Airstrikes

Nabatieh Governorate:

• Khiam: IDF airstrike
• Taybeh (Marjeyoun District): IDF airstrike
• Sultaniyeh, Khirbet Selm, Majdal Selm: Artillery shelling
• Zawtar-Mazraat al-Hamra corridor: Airstrike
• Shaqra (Bint Jbeil District): Airstrike
• Beit Hanoun (Bint Jbeil): Airstrike
• Qounine (Al-Baraka neighbourhood): One fatality confirmed
• Jmeijmeh / Al-Jumaymah: Grand Mosque struck
• Burj Qalaouiyah: Health centre — 12 medical workers killed

Bekaa Valley / Baalbek-Hermel:

• Shamshtar: Airstrike; second airstrike on outskirts
• Eastern mountain range: Airstrike
• Litani-Bekaa bridge: Struck after warning

North Lebanon / Other:

• Miye w Miye (near Sidon): Airstrike
• Shemstar (eastern Lebanon): Airstrike
• Kesrouan (north Beirut): Iranian missile intercepted — debris falls across governorate

Halta (Hasbaya District): IDF abducts civilian; kills teenager in house search

🌡️ GOVERNORATE SECURITY INDEX — MARCH 24, 2026

🏙️ BEIRUT (incl. MOUNT LEBANON PERIPHERY)

Index: 98/100 🔴🔴 | Status: Active War — No Warning Strikes Expanding into Druze Districts

The Bshamoun strike — killing a 3-year-old girl with no warning in a Druze-majority area 10km from Beirut with no Hezbollah presence — is today’s defining event for the capital region. It confirms that the IDF’s target set has expanded to include any building housing a person on its kill list, regardless of neighbourhood character, confessional composition, or proximity to Hezbollah infrastructure.

Seven overnight strikes on Dahiyeh, an Iranian missile intercepted over Kesrouan (debris falling across north Beirut areas), and 5 distinct neighbourhoods now struck beyond Dahiyeh paint a picture of a capital under comprehensive assault.

The diplomatic dimensions are seismic: Lebanon has expelled the Iranian ambassador (first in history), banned “resistance” as a term for Hezbollah, and PM Salam publicly named IRGC officers as illegal operators in Lebanon. These are acts of political courage under fire — but they have not produced a ceasefire and have earned Lebanon the open threat of “anti-government action” from Hezbollah’s security chief Wafiq Safa.

Berri’s “hopeful” signal from Iran — that Lebanon will be included in any US-Iran deal — is the most positive diplomatic development of the day. However, Trump’s peace claims are simultaneously rejected by Iran as “fake news.”

🏞️ MOUNT LEBANON

Index: 91/100 🔴🔴 | Trend: ⬆️ ESCALATING — BSHAMOUN STRIKE CHANGES RISK PROFILE

The Bshamoun strike has fundamentally altered Mount Lebanon’s security profile. The Aley district — a historically Druze, non-Hezbollah area — has now been struck with fatal civilian casualties and no warning. Every community in Mount Lebanon must now be assessed as a potential target if IDF intelligence believes any individual there has Hezbollah or IRGC links — regardless of the neighbourhood’s confessional character.

The 1.2 million displaced are concentrated in Mount Lebanon. Collective shelters, schools, and public buildings are overwhelmed. The arrival of a new wave of displacement from Tyre (now under evacuation order) will add further pressure.

🌊 NORTH LEBANON & TRIPOLI

Index: 85/100 🔴 | Trend: Elevated

North Lebanon is receiving the final waves of displaced persons as Tyre — the last major displacement reception hub in the south — is now itself under evacuation order. Tripoli’s infrastructure is at breaking point. The Iranian missile intercepted over Kesrouan — with fragments falling northward — introduces a new direct threat dimension even to areas north of Beirut.

🌲 AKKAR

Index: 87/100 🔴 | Trend: Elevated

The Joussieh border crossing continues to process Syria-bound crossings. Syrian border security remains complex. No direct strikes, but the Iranian missile intercepted over Kesrouan (with Iranian targeting possibly aimed at US assets) raises the possibility of future Iranian strikes on northern Lebanese territory.

🏛️ KESERWAN-JBEIL

Index: 88/100 🔴🔴 | Trend: ⬆️ NEW — IRANIAN MISSILE DEBRIS FALLS HERE

Keserwan has been directly affected for the first time. An Iranian missile intercepted over Kesrouan shed debris across the governorate — with residents reporting explosions and panic. Al-Hadath states the missile may have been targeting US military assets in Lebanon. Keserwan — home to Lebanon’s Christian heartland and a primary displacement reception zone — is no longer a safe haven. This is a critical escalation for this previously untouched governorate.

🍇 BEQAA VALLEY

Index: 97/100 🔴🔴 | Status: Active — Bridge Destruction; Ground Approach; Shamshtar Struck

The Litani-Bekaa bridge struck today. Shamshtar struck twice. The bridge destruction strategy is now confirmed to include the Bekaa corridor — isolating the valley from the south as well as cutting it off from resupply routes. IDF ground forces approaching from Khiam toward the Bekaa supply corridor remain the imminent ground threat. Israel is pursuing a “scorched-earth” policy in southern Lebanon, with the military instructed to demolish homes and villages near the border. The Bekaa is the next phase of this plan.

🕌 BAALBEK-HERMEL

Index: 98/100 🔴🔴 | Status: Maximum Danger

Ongoing strikes. Shamshtar struck twice today. Hezbollah’s Hermel corridor to Syria under systematic interdiction. The expulsion of the Iranian ambassador and PM Salam’s statements about IRGC fake passports directly reference operations centred on Baalbek-Hermel as Hezbollah’s strategic rear. Hezbollah’s security chief Wafiq Safa’s vow of anti-government action post-war emanates from this community. Maximum danger remains.

🌴 SOUTH LEBANON

Index: 99/100 🔴🔴 | Status: ACTIVE OCCUPATION — DO NOT ENTER

South Lebanon is now formally under declared Israeli military occupation intent up to the Litani River. Bridges are being systematically destroyed. Tyre city is under evacuation order for the first time. Burj al-Shamali is being violently raided. A teenager was killed in a house search in Halta. A mosque was struck in Al-Jumaymah. A health centre in Burj Qalaouiyah had 12 medical workers killed in a single strike. White phosphorus/phosphorus shelling confirmed again today near Naqoura. The Lebanese Army is evacuating its positions in Dibil.

Israel’s stated strategy — “Rafah model” demolition of border villages, complete depopulation of a zone constituting 10% of Lebanon’s territory, indefinite Israeli occupation up to the Litani — is now being implemented openly and in real time.

There is no possibility of civilian safety in South Lebanon. Occupation is being implemented today.

⛪ NABATIEH

Index: 99/100 🔴🔴 | Status: Active Combat + Healthcare System Destroyed

Nabatieh Governorate today recorded the deadliest single healthcare strike of the war: 12 medical workers killed in Burj Qalaouiyah health centre. Ground combat continues in Khiam, Taybeh, Aitaroun. Strikes across Beit Hanoun, Shaqra, Jmeijmeh (mosque struck), Qounine. The Lebanese Army is evacuating positions in Dibil under Israeli advance. Nabatieh’s healthcare system — already at breaking point — has now lost an entire emergency medical team.

📊 LEBANON WAR DASHBOARD — MARCH 24, 2026

🎯 CRITICAL INTELLIGENCE BRIEF — MARCH 24, 2026

THE FIVE MOST IMPORTANT FACTS TODAY:

1. ISRAEL HAS DECLARED AN OCCUPATION. This is no longer a military operation — it is a stated territorial seizure. Smotrich wants annexation. The Litani is being declared Israel’s new border by Israeli cabinet ministers. Lebanon’s south is being depopulated and occupied in real time. This is the most consequential development of the entire war for Lebanon’s future.

2. A 3-YEAR-OLD WAS KILLED IN A DRUZE DISTRICT WITH NO WARNING. Bshamoun (Aley) has no Hezbollah presence. The killing confirms that no area of Lebanon’s capital region — regardless of confessional composition or declared safety — is immune from Israeli strikes. Review your building security posture today.

3. 12 MEDICAL WORKERS WERE KILLED IN A SINGLE HEALTH CENTRE STRIKE. Burj Qalaouiyah health centre lost nearly its entire medical team. This is an attack on healthcare infrastructure that the UN says may constitute a war crime. Lebanon’s already-strained health system has taken another devastating blow.

4. AN IRANIAN MISSILE FELL ON KESROUAN. The missile may have targeted US assets in Lebanon. Every governorate of Lebanon is now within the active war zone — from Iranian fire from the north and Israeli fire from the south simultaneously.

5. THE DIPLOMATIC DOOR IS CRACKED OPEN — BUT BARELY. Berri’s signal that Iran pledged Lebanon will be in any US-Iran deal is genuine. Trump’s 5-day pause on power plant strikes suggests some diplomatic momentum. But Iran is simultaneously firing missiles and denying talks exist. No ceasefire is imminent. The next 5 days — Trump’s pause window — are the most diplomatically significant of the war.

📱 EMERGENCY GUIDANCE — MARCH 24, 2026

🚨 IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES:

TYRE CITY RESIDENTS: You are now under direct IDF evacuation order. Leave immediately northward. The roundabout in Tyre was struck today with 10+ injuries. Burj al-Shamali was violently raided on video. The Amana petrol station in Rashidieh is on fire. Move north toward Sidon (with caution) and then toward Beirut or Mount Lebanon.

ALEY DISTRICT / MOUNT LEBANON RESIDENTS: Bshamoun has been struck — a 3-year-old killed in a residential building with no warning. If your building houses any individual with Hezbollah, IRGC, or Hamas connections — regardless of your neighbourhood’s character — treat it as a potential target. Know your evacuation route.

KESROUAN RESIDENTS: An Iranian missile was intercepted over your governorate today. Debris fell across multiple areas. Al-Hadath says Iran may have been targeting a US military asset in Lebanon. You are no longer in a safe zone. Have an emergency plan.

SOUTH LEBANON AND NABATIEH: Full occupation being implemented. Lebanon Army evacuating Dibil. Tyre under evacuation order. 12 health workers killed in Burj Qalaouiyah. Do not enter. Do not return.

ALL BEIRUT: 7 overnight strikes on Dahiyeh. Bshamoun struck with no warning. No neighbourhood of greater Beirut can be declared safe. Maintain emergency preparedness.

DIPLOMATIC WINDOW: The Trump 5-day pause on Iranian power plant strikes (ending approximately March 28-29) is a potential ceasefire window. Monitor developments closely. However: do not reduce personal emergency preparedness based on diplomatic signals. Iran is still firing missiles. Israel is still bombing Lebanon.

🚗 MARCH 24 TRAVEL STATUS

🛡️ CIS SECURITY — FULL WAR EMERGENCY | MARCH 24, 2026

Trusted Security Excellence Since 1990 | “Because Your Safety Isn’t Optional”

PRIORITY SERVICES TODAY:

🔴 TYRE CITY URGENT EVACUATION — New evacuation order issued today. CIS coordinating safe routing north from Tyre, Burj al-Shamali, and Al-Maashouq toward Sidon and beyond. Contact immediately: +961-3-539900.

🏥 HEALTHCARE CRISIS RESPONSE — Burj Qalaouiyah health centre destroyed (12 medical workers killed). CIS coordinating with remaining south Lebanon medical infrastructure. Patient emergency transport from compromised facilities.

📡 KESROUAN THREAT ASSESSMENT — New governorate under active threat (Iranian missile debris; possible US asset targeting). Rapid building and residence security assessment for Kesrouan clients now available.

⚖️ OCCUPATION LEGAL DOCUMENTATION — IDF formal occupation declaration under international law. CIS documenting property, displacement, and infrastructure destruction for post-war legal proceedings. Coordination with HRW, Amnesty, and UN OHCHR ongoing.

💼 5-DAY DIPLOMATIC WINDOW MONITORING — Trump’s pause on Iranian power plant strikes creates a potential ceasefire corridor ending ~March 28-29. CIS providing real-time diplomatic track intelligence so clients can plan around a possible ceasefire announcement.

📞 ALL EMERGENCY CONTACTS — MARCH 24, 2026

CIS Security 24/7: +961-3-539900 | www.cissecurity.net US Embassy Emergency: +1-202-501-4444 | BeirutACS@state.gov Lebanese Red Cross: 1760 | Civil Defence: 125 | ISF: 112 UNIFIL Naqoura (if in south): +39-0577-769000 WFP Lebanon Emergency: Active all governorates UNHCR Lebanon: Active all displacement routes

⚠️ FINAL ASSESSMENT — MARCH 24, 2026

Lebanon on Day 25 of the Iran war:

The worst facts: Israel has formally declared occupation of southern Lebanon. A 3-year-old was killed in a Druze district south of Beirut with no warning. 12 health workers were killed in a single strike on a medical facility. A mosque was struck. An Iranian missile fell on previously safe Kesrouan. 1,039 Lebanese are dead. 1.2 million are displaced. Every bridge over the Litani is being destroyed. The Lebanese Army is retreating from Dibil.

The best facts: Iran has signalled to Berri that Lebanon will be in any US-Iran deal. Trump has paused power plant strikes for 5 days. The Strait of Hormuz is partially reopening to non-hostile ships. Lebanon has expelled Iran’s ambassador and banned “resistance” — acts of remarkable political courage. Pakistan has offered to host talks. Macron is publicly calling occupation unacceptable.

The 5-day diplomatic window created by Trump’s pause on power plant strikes — ending approximately March 28-29 — is the most important ceasefire opportunity yet. Whether it produces results is the defining question of the coming week.

CIS Lebanon Security Index™ | Tuesday, March 24, 2026 | ACTIVE WAR — DAY 25 Sources (all published today unless noted): NPR (47 mins ago — Trump Iran talks); CNN liveblog (5 mins ago — Hegseth, Trump, Vance, Rubio); Al Jazeera Day 25 (3-4 hours ago); Reuters / US News & World Report (11 hours ago — Katz occupation declaration); Jerusalem Post (5 hours ago — occupation, Smotrich); Naharnet (all March 24 headlines — Bshamoun, Iran envoy expelled, Berri hopeful, Safa threat, Geagea); L’Orient Today (13-15 hours ago — Bshamoun live blog, AFP figures, Halta); Al Jazeera “Israel kills three in Beirut” (7 hours ago);

LiveUAMap Lebanon (today — all confirmed strikes); Prism News (6 hours ago — UNIFIL, war crimes, health worker killed); Wikipedia 2026 Lebanon War (1 day ago — Burj Qalaouiyah 12 killed, UNIFIL HQ, ambassador); Democracy Now headlines (10 hours ago); UN News Middle East Live (3 hours ago — oil prices, West Bank); L’Orient Today live ticker (1 hour ago — Bushehr, Hormuz IMO letter). All Lebanon casualty figures: Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. Displacement: UN Secretary-General spokesman Dujarric. Strike data: NNA, LiveUAMap, named AFP/AP/Reuters correspondents. Index compiled: Tuesday, March 24, 2026 — 23:59 Beirut time.