Israeli troops make deepest incursion so far into southern Lebanon as Hezbollah considers fresh ceasefire proposal

Israeli troops are understood to have made their deepest incursion into southern Lebanese territory since the recent offensive began on October 1, as the militant group Hezbollah considered its response to a fresh ceasefire proposal.

Israeli troops are understood to have made their deepest incursion into southern Lebanese territory since the recent offensive began on October 1, as the militant group Hezbollah considered its response to a fresh ceasefire proposal. On Friday night, Israeli forces reached the village of Chama, some 61 miles from the capital of Beirut, known for its shrine to Saint Peter, referred to in Arabic as the prophet Shimon Al-Safa. After reaching the area, Israeli troops managed to blow up the shrine, which lies on the village’s main hill, according to reporting from Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA). CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment on the report. A video obtained by Lebanese news outlet Al-Akhbar and verified by CNN showed smoke rising from the complex housing the shrine, which has traditionally been a popular pilgrimage site for Shiite Muslims. A nearby UN peacekeeping position was also hit by an artillery shell from the strikes, according to the NNA report. Meanwhile, intense Israeli strikes targeted areas of Beirut’s southern suburbs Saturday, marking the fifth straight day of Israeli attacks on the Dayiyeh region of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold. NNA said three areas were hit.